Eden: The New Akihabara
by LG65
Summary: Takes place during the start of Chapter 8 of "Lost Paradise" (a.k.a. Hokuto ga Gotoku). Kenshiro meets a young boy and a unique group of friends... And their lives were changed for the better in the City of Miracles.
1. The Successor & the Synthister

A/N: Let me say that it's been a while since I wrote a fanfiction story. But... After playing a lot of a certain game that is made by the Yakuza devs (Ryu ga Gotoku Studio)… And another, I had to go and make a fanfiction!

As always...

Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise/Hokuto ga Gotoku: (c) SEGA  
Fist of the North Star/Hokuto no Ken: (c) Buronson & Tetsuo Hara/NSP 1983, Approved No. GA-217  
Akiba's Trip: Undead & Undressed: (c) ACQUIRE/XSeed Games/Marvelous USA, Inc.

* * *

 _In the not-so-distant future…_

 _The world has been scoured by nuclear flame!_

 _The seas have dried. The land has split._

 _And all life has been wiped from the barren Earth._

 _But…_

 _The human race lives on!_

And for the most part, it is all true. Most of the world has crumbled into a deserted wasteland, with no food, no water and no greens to sustain life. That is… except in one city near a mountainous region.

Known in legends as "The City of Miracles", this place has everything one can ask for. Food, water, and while there is no plant life, there are seeds in which the plants can be grown into fruits… This city is known as Eden.

At the centre near the doors of a cathedral, with its backdrop being a giant glass dome, stands a man tall enough to contend with similarly larger man. He was listening to a speech from a woman, wearing a white dress which is similar in style to the man's armour. She is standing at the centre of the steps where the cathedral can be entered.

She began to speak to a large crowd.

"Citizens of Eden! It is time for this city to change. We have protected the blessings of Sphere City by building walls and limiting the population… We maintained order by turning away those in need, so that only a select few could live in bliss."

"This, however, was not the path of justice. In a perfect city, the strong must safeguard the weak – society can only rise as high as its lowest members. From this day forth, the gifts of Eden are no longer a treasure to be protected, but to be shared."

"Therefore, today, I declare that Eden's gates shall be open to all! We will open the gates, release any prisoners, and welcome all newcomers with open arms!"

A citizen cried out, with a bit of concern on his face, "Wouldn't that be inviting the Holy Imperial Army or the Army of Ruin?"

The woman responded by saying, "That is a danger we cannot ignore. But, if we all work together, we can protect each other and live without fear! Eden is going to become greater than ever… by the hands of our people!"

The crowd began to cheer and clap. The spiky black-haired man, donning a blue leather jacket, matching pants, black boots and silver shoulder pads, stood on, watching. Another man with a similar height and build, but wore a light blue shirt with black shoulder pads, stood right beside him. He said, "Xsana is shaping up to be a remarkable leader."

"Yeah." The first man said, "This world needs a hero brave enough to make their ideals a reality."

"You're right." The second man replied,

He turned and said, "By the way, Ken… I heard some young kids showed up at Eden's gates today."

"What do you mean?" The second man asked,

"They don't look threatening, but based on what I heard from Jagre, they are not from around here." The first man replied, "I think they got here by mistake… I think you should see them, Kenshiro."

"Rei…" Kenshiro said, "Where do I find these kids? Do you know if they are still in town?"

"I believe so." Rei responded, "For the moment, they are with Jagre near the gate. I think you should head down there."

"Good idea." Kenshiro replied, "I'll see you soon." And he ran all the way down stairs to the main courtyard, ran past the Colosseum on the west side, through the bazaar and finally… he saw them.

A young black-haired boy, wearing blue jeans and a blue shirt with a darker blue undershirt, returned his gaze…

* * *

Chapter 1: The Successor and the Synthister

Kenshiro remained speechless, albeit stoic. The boy stared back and he was speechless as well. The man Rei mentioned, named Jagre, asked Kenshiro, "Hey, Ken… Do you know those kids?"

Kenshiro remained silent. Jagre scratched his nearly bald head, not going near his orange mohawk haircut and goggles, and said, "They said that they know you somehow… But… how is that possible?"

Jagre continued, "Listen, normally I'm not supposed to do this, but you did hear Lady Xsana decree that we should not turn away anyone."

"I agree." Kenshiro concurred, "I'll hear their story and figure out where we go from here."

"Yeah…" Jagre replied, "That sounds like a good idea." He then turned to the boy and his group. "Hey, guys. This is Kenshiro. He'll guide you around Eden and show you around town. Please be courteous towards him."

The boy finally spoke. "Pleasure to meet you… Kenshiro, 64th Successor of the Hokuto Shinken." He bowed as he spoke.

Kenshiro gave a slightly shocked expression. "How does he know my fighting style?!" He thought,

* * *

In a room at the southwest end of the Chimney District, Kenshiro gathered with the boy and his group. However, it was no ordinary group the boy is with. The boy's group consisted of young women!

"How did you know my fighting style?" Kenshiro asked, quizzical about the young boy's knowledge

"You see…" The boy responded, "I read much of your stories, watched your shows and played your video games. We are, what we called, otaku or… anime and manga geeks."

"Although, I'm not sure if those things are around in this time frame…" He said with his head down.

"I'm sorry," Kenshiro replied, "But I am not familiar with those things."

"It's OK." The boy said sadly, "I heard that the district we lived in, Akihabara, was wiped out during the nuclear war. The seven of us are thankful that we are still alive."

"Pardon me. I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Nanashi." The boy then bows, "I'm sorry… it's not an interesting name or anything."

A girl with whitish-purplish hair and a white and blue dress bowed and said in a polite yet stoic voice, "My name is Shizuku Tokikaze. Pleased to meet you."

Another girl with light brown hair with a ponytail, in a green cyclist's jacket bowed and said in a slightly excited voice, "My name is Tohko Sagisaka. Pleased to meet you!"

Another girl with grey hair with pigtails and wearing a white dress, and red and black leggings, bowed and said, "My name is Rin Tokikaze. As you can see, I'm Shizuku's sister! Nice to meet you."

A young woman with long purple hair in a grey suit bowed and said in a seductive voice, "My name is Shion Kasugai. It is nice to meet someone who is a practitioner of Hokuto Shinken like yourself."

Another girl with blonde hair, wearing a blue maid's outfit bowed and said in a happy voice, "My name is Kati Räikkönen! Greased to meet you!"

Nanashi chuckles and said, "Forgive me, Mr. Kenshiro. Kati has a habit of messing up English words. I'm sure she said 'Pleased to meet you'. And now…" He turned to look around, "Uh… guys? Where's my sister?"

"Brotato…" a quiet, yet slightly scared voice cried, "I don't want to come out yet… That big guy looks scary!"

Nanashi managed to catch his sister, hiding behind a couch, next to a table, in which a chicken is on top of the table. She is wearing a white sweater, with the hoodie covering her black hair. "Her name is Nana." He said, "My sister is what you call… a shut-in. I would suggest hanging out with her often."

"Hm… I see." Kenshiro said,

"My name is Kenshiro. I'm exactly what your tales said. The 64th Successor of the Hokuto Shinken. It's my pleasure to meet you all." He then bows.

Both Kenshiro and Nanashi then exchanged stories about how they came to be.

* * *

In Kenshiro's case, he explained that he is indeed the Successor of the deadly assassination martial art known as Hokuto Shinken. The way it is taught is that the energy of the user is channeled into a single blow and striking 708 points in the body. The pressure points that were inflicted by the blows will almost always kill the enemy, either from within or make them explode. The art is also used to heal wounds, both physically and psychologically. But the main use of the martial art is for killing people.

He came to Eden after learning that his fiancée, Yuria, is there. She is currently sleeping in the Chamber of Miracles, inside the glass dome called Sphere City. He was initially told that she died, killing herself, by his rival, Shin, who is a practitioner of the Nanto Koshuken fighting style, during a raid at Southern Cross. He also showed Nanashi and company the scars of the Big Dipper constellation on his chest, received from Shin after he kidnapped Yuria. The reason Yuria is sleeping inside the Chamber of Miracles is that she is attempting to cure herself of the radiation sickness she has. He also learned from a mysterious man that the moment she wakes up, the nuclear warheads inside Sphere City will activate and destroy Eden. Kenshiro, despite this, has committed to not only protect Eden, but also save Yuria from any danger.

In Nanashi's case, he is part of a neighbourhood watch team known as the "Akihabara Freedom Fighters". But what sets him apart from everyone else, is that he is a Synthister, a man-made vampire where his skin has zero protection from the sun. If he has no clothing on, he will burn and die. Shizuku managed to save him by a kiss and strengthened Nanashi as a result. In essence, he became a Nighteater, like Shizuku and Rin, who hunts down and eliminates Synthisters, but since he is one himself, he formed a contract with Shizuku to become her familiar. Until Akihabara's final days, Nanashi and his team kept watch over the district for any supernatural beings.

* * *

"I see…" Kenshiro replied, "So where will you go?"

"For the moment, we do not really know." Nanashi answered, "We thought this is a good pit stop in our travels to find a better town, city or village. From what I heard from the Watch, Eden had just dealt with a major threat, right?"

"Ah, right…" Kenshiro replied, thinking back how he drove Thouzer and the Imperial Army out of Eden a day earlier.

"I think we should set up shop here, at least for a few days." Nanashi said, "What do you guys think?"

"I agree with Nanashi." Shizuku said, "It can give us a few days to recharge. Plus, I am curious to see what this place has to offer."

"But… shouldn't we talk to the ruler first?" Tohko asked, "I mean, there might be paperwork involved and…"

"I don't think it should be a problem." Kenshiro replied, "Lady Xsana did allow people, from all walks of life, to come to Eden. If anything, I'll have a chat with her."

"Why didn't you think of this before we came, minion?!" Rin cried to Nanashi,

"Rin…" Nanashi cried,

"Don't blame Nanashi." Shion said, "He couldn't have known about any way to set up our group in town like Eden, if there were rules in place. Luckily, we're free to do that, thanks to Mr. Kenshiro."

Rin moaned sheepishly, while Kenshiro said nothing. "Well… I'm thirsty and our journey was quite long, so I'm going to the bar." Shion said, "But… which bar is nicer? Do you know one, Mr. Kenshiro?"

Kenshiro replied, "The Rusty Nail Bar is a very good place on the east part of Eden. I mix drinks there. Maybe I'll stop by."

"Is that a date you're asking me on?" Shion said, seductively, "I think I may take you up on that offer…" She then got up from her seat and left the room.

"Remind me why we brought her along, minion!" Rin cried,

"She was a useful ally!" Nanashi cried back, "Yes, you may have had suspicions about her, being once the CEO of Daishihon Pharmaceuticals, but she was never implicated of anything back at our old home!"

"Rin still has that grudge, huh?" Tohko said, "Anyways, I heard there's a big Colosseum in town! Maybe I'll watch a few matches and get inspired…" She got up and left the room.

Kati said, "I'm off to the Casino!"

Kenshiro grew a bit wide-eyed at the response and then asked, "Are you sure it's OK for your age?"

"With this outfit I have on, I can certainly pass for a worker there!" Kati replied, "Wish me luck, Mr. Genshiro!"

"It's Kenshiro." He corrected,

"Ah, right!" Kati replied, "Mr. Kenshiro! See you there!" And she left.

"Right." Rin said, "I'm going to the front square to sing in front of my new sheeplings. Maybe they can appreciate the music we have back at our old home… Hopefully, you can stop by, Kenshiro." She got up, took her keyboard and left

"I think I'll explore Eden for a bit." Shizuku said, "Maybe there is something for me here…"

"Just be careful." Kenshiro warned, "There are a handful of people who may try something on you…"

"Thank you, Mr. Kenshiro." Shizuku acknowledged, "I'll see you later, Nanashi?"

"Yes." Nanashi replied. He then hugged Shizuku and gave her a kiss. "See you soon."

Shizuku waved and left the room. "Brofist…" Nana said, "My head hurts… I think I need to go to a hospital."

"Are you sure you can reach the clinic on the northeast side of town?" Kenshiro asked,

"I think I can…" Nana replied, "Hopefully, you can come, Broshiro." She then left the room.

"OK… It's just us." Nanashi said, "I guess let's go and talk to Lady Xsana."

"Right." Kenshiro acknowledged.

* * *

A few minutes later, Kenshiro and Nanashi are inside the cathedral, with the back window overlooking Sphere City. They stood in front of a desk, with Xsana being on the other side. Xsana asked, "What can I do for you, Kenshiro? Nanashi?"

"Go ahead, Nanashi." Kenshiro said,

"Right." Nanashi replied and bowed to Xsana.

"I'm part and in charge of a neighbourhood watch group in our old town. We have been traveling from place to place, looking to set up shop. The idea that you have welcomed us here is a blessing and we thank you for it. Is there any steps we need to take in order for our group to stay in Eden and be that neighbourhood watch?"

"It's nice that you want to help the Watch." Xsana said, "And I'm gracious for your offer. I do need some time to think about it, since I do not know you or your group that well."

"I understand, Lady Xsana." Nanashi responded, "The fact that Eden was just reeling from yesterday's incident with the Imperial Army made you very cautious and wary. If anything, we can await your decision whenever you are ready. We are not in a rush or anything."

"Thank you, Nanashi." Xsana replied, "I'm sure you would make a fine, upstanding citizen of Eden, if I have the power to grant you that wish. Your friends also seem like the type that can be a good refresher to Eden as well. As I said, I do need to come to a decision and will let you know in a few days."

"Thank you, Lady Xsana." Nanashi replied and bowed

Kenshiro looked at Nanashi and thought, "This kid… He has the same compassion as me… I'm wondering… Is he well suited for the dangers that lie ahead?"


	2. Eden's Freedom Fighters

A/N: The song was used in the Clinic is the OP for "Akiba's Trip: Undead & Undressed" is "True Story" by Luna Haruna. I'm not even sure if the lyrics are correct...

Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise/Hokuto ga Gotoku: (c) SEGA  
Fist of the North Star/Hokuto no Ken: (c) Buronson & Tetsuo Hara/NSP 1983, Approved No. GA-217  
Akiba's Trip: Undead & Undressed: (c) ACQUIRE/XSeed Games/Marvelous USA Inc.

* * *

Chapter 2: Eden's Freedom Fighters

Kenshiro and Nanashi left the cathedral and walked down the steps. Nanashi turned to Kenshiro and asked, "Mr. Kenshiro, have you ever thought of settling down with Yuria?"

"Each and every day." Kenshiro responded, "The last time I saw her, I told her in times like these, especially in times like these, that we need to help each other get through this chaos. And we would find somewhere to live in peace."

"You and your friends have that luxury. I have yet to seek it, but I recognize it is also within my grasp. I just have to take that chance."

"You know I have my full support for you, Mr. Kenshiro." Nanashi said, "I wish I could be there to meet Yuria myself. But I have Shizuku and my friends to protect as well."

"Speaking of which, we should check on them. Who should we start first?"

"Hmm…" Kenshiro thought, "Nana might be at the Clinic at this time, so I can start there. I'm not sure how I feel about Shion, but she did ask me to mix something for her at the Rusty Nail Bar. Tohko is hanging around the Colosseum… Perhaps I can give her a show. Rin is at the square near the big bell near the Bazaar with her songs, hopefully serenading a crowd… Kati is at the Casino, although I'm not sure if the maid outfit will work to perfection… Where's Shizuku, though…? She didn't tell me where she is going specifically…"

"Actually, can we stop by a food place?" Nanashi asked, "I'm getting hungry and I sure don't want to feed on a life force in Eden…"

"OK. We can do that." Kenshiro replied, "I know a place in town. So let's head there."

"I will follow you." Nanashi replied

Both guys ran down the stairs and headed west into the Neon District of Eden, into a restaurant known as the Paradise Bar.

* * *

Kenshiro and Nanashi entered the bar and it was slightly packed with people, from regular merchants to big, brutish thugs. On the other side of the bar is a massive man with an apron and a bandana over his head.

Kenshiro walked over to the massive man. The giant spoke in a voice that's befitting an old lady. "Hehehe… Here you are again. Take your time."

"I'll take some Fried Bugs." Kenshiro said,

"Coming right up." The Huge Old Lady replied

A few minutes later, the fried bugs were served on a plate in front of Kenshiro. He paid with the currency, known in Eden as Internal Dollar Loans or IDL for short. He then gave them to Nanashi.

"Thank you, Mr. Kenshiro." Nanashi said after receiving his food

Nanashi thought as he looked at the bugs, "Eeewww… They look like badly fried shrimps! Oh well… bottoms up."

He began to chew on one of them. He then thought, "Hm! Not bad at all! They could use that extra oil, maybe some hot sauce, but they are kind of good though!"

The Huge Old Lady cried to Kenshiro, "Oh? Going home already? You better come again!"

Unbeknownst to both Kenshiro and Nanashi, a group of bullish thugs were harassing a citizen at a nearby table. The citizen cried, "Please. Don't."

"You got a problem, huh?!" A bullish muscled thug cried,

The thug with a blue mohawk yelled, "What's so funny? You were laughing at me, weren't you?! I'll kill you, you son of a bitch!"

"What are you talking about?" The citizen, who is wearing a blue vest asked, "I didn't even chuckle."

"Don't lie!" Another thug with a mask, that is made to look like a catcher's mask in baseball, cried out, "I could tell you were laughing at me."

"N-No." The citizen cried, "How could I…?"

Then, they noticed Kenshiro standing near them. The thug with a purple mohawk cried, "What're you smirking at, chuckles? Oh… I get it."

Nanashi, as he kept chewing the Fried Bugs, observed the incident Kenshiro butted in. "Bastard!" The purple mohawk thug yelled, "You were laughing at me, too! Admit it!"

"Go on, keep laughing at me!" The blue mohawk thug taunted, "Laugh it up and die!"

Kenshiro took the bait… "Ha. Ha. Ha." He laughed, in the most snark and deadpan of manners one can think of. Nanashi nearly choked on the Fried Bugs, while trying to hold his laughter.

"I knew it!" The blue mohawk thug cried, "We'll see how funny I am when you're DEAD!"

* * *

Outside, the three thugs put their fists up while Kenshiro did the same. Kenshiro connected on a few punches, which blew up one of the thugs' heads.

He then followed it up with two punches and a flip, while grabbing the head. As Kenshiro did this, he struck a part of the thug's eyes, which blinded him. The thug waved his arms around, trying to regain his vision until…

"Don't bother struggling." Kenshiro said in front of the thug and smacked his fingers on the his head

" **HOKUTO BONE CRUSHER STRIKE!** "

Kenshiro removed the fingers. The thug slumped down while still standing. His eyes opened and he screamed as the skeleton ripped itself out of his body!

Kenshiro went to work on the last thug, who began to cry, "No! Let me go!"

Unfortunately, Kenshiro chose to kill him by hitting a channeling point on the head and it exploded in a puddle of blood, with the thug crying out… "SHIT BALLS!"

* * *

Back at Paradise Bar, the citizen was happy Kenshiro disposed of the thugs and said, "Whew… You saved my life! Thank you very, very much!"

Kenshiro was given a Golden Bell. He then walked towards Nanashi and said, "You finished?"

"Yes." Nanashi replied, "Let's head towards the clinic."

* * *

As Kenshiro and Nanashi walked to the clinic on the northeast part of Eden, the younger of the two men said, "That fight was good theatre. Just as I expected from the Successor of Hokuto Shinken!"

Kenshiro didn't respond. Not that it mattered to Nanashi, since he read Kenshiro's tales. To Nanashi, he knew that Kenshiro is usually not the type to really be social towards others.

"Anyways, let's head to the clinic." Nanashi said, "My sister is waiting. And to tell you the truth… She can be a bit much, but I still love her."

Both guys eventually reached the clinic on the northeast side of Eden.

* * *

Inside the clinic, a young black-haired woman with a medical jacket checked on Nana. "Very interesting." She said, "I guess I could prescribe some medicine for you, but the bandits took all of our medicine… All we can do is wait for Dr. Kenshiro."

"Wait…" Nana said, "You mean, Mr. Kenshiro is a doctor in this clinic?"

"Ah, yes!" The young woman replied, "You should see his method of treating patients! I can definitely ask him to show you."

Then, they heard the door open. "Ah, speaking of which…" she said before turning towards a familiar figure

"Good afternoon, Mao." Kenshiro greeted, as he and Nanashi walked in

"Good afternoon, Dr. Kenshiro." The young woman replied, "Your patient is here. She is reporting a headache, after a long travel with her companions. I told her that I would have prescribed her some medicine, but she is curious about how you operate on the patients…"

"I see…" Kenshiro replied, "Please give me a moment."

* * *

Kenshiro changed into his outfit, consisting of a thin, white lab coat and a grey undershirt. He then walked towards Nana. "Hello, Nana." He said, "The first thing I'm going to ask you is to take off… I guess your overcoat?"

"It's a hoodie, Doctor." Nana said, "And only for you and my Brocessor."

She took off her white hoodie to reveal her long black hair. "Thank you, Nana." Kenshiro said, with a bit of a smile on his face, "Now please hold still."

Kenshiro then channeled his hands calmly over Nana's head. His body and hands were glowing in a green colour. Nanashi thought as he watched on, "Wow… This must be the healing part of Hokuto Shinken! I know about his brothers, Toki, Raoh and Jagi… I think it was… Toki, who is a master of healing people and taught Kenshiro this?"

After a minute, the green glow disappeared and Kenshiro moved his hands away from Nana's head. He then asked, "How do you feel?"

Nana grew amazed and cried, "Wow! I don't feel a headache anymore! Thank you, Doctor!"

"It is my pleasure." Kenshiro replied,

"Actually…" Nana continued, "I heard from Mao that you also do treatments in a style that is unheard of by many?"

"Why, yes…" Kenshiro replied, "It is called "Musical Therapy". I'm not sure if you noticed, but there is a public address system in this clinic, that plays music when I treat patients. I do it in a rhythm to the music. It's worth seeing to believing."

"Perfect." Nana said, "Then… Mission: Perform Musical Therapy to a song I have on this cassette." He handed Kenshiro a cassette tape

Kenshiro gave a slightly shocked expression. Nanashi noticed it and said to him, "I would just go with it, Mr. Kenshiro. It'll be fine."

"In that case," Kenshiro began as he took the tape from Nana and turned to Mao, "Mao, please insert this cassette in the system and send the patients in."

"Yes, Dr. Kenshiro." Mao replied, and then she took Nana's tape and walked off to make preparations.

Just then, Kenshiro, Nanashi and Nana heard the door open. A group of big-muscled outlaws arrived. The outlaw with a lime-green mohawk cried, "Oh, hey, doc. Mind takin' a look at me? My head's poundin'… Think I need some meds."

"I guess those must be the guys who stole the medicines…" Nana said,

"I agree." Kenshiro said, "Must be a case of terminal stupidity."

"Huh?!" The outlaw cried, "Is this how a doctor treats his patients?! Well… then, either you treat me or we might just have to kill you!"

"I don't have any medicine for you, but I'll gladly give you treatment." Kenshiro replied,

"Huh?!" The outlaw cried

"I'll need all the patients to line up." Kenshiro cried, "No need to be shy. The doctor is in."

* * *

The song began with a melody that is played on a piano, not that anyone in Eden knows what one is… And then the accompanying guitars and drums kicked in. As soon as those beats kicked in, Kenshiro began to hit channeling points of the various sick patients, ranging from members of the Watch to men of various ages, and healed them nicely to the beat of the song.

Then he went to work on the the bandits, hitting their channeling points, and making their heads explode. For some of the bandits, Kenshiro rapidly punched them a few times, and smashed them in the air, also killing them.

The song's lyrics went something like this:

"Your smile is so innocent

To tell the beginning

The back of the chest is tightening

Beyond the night that does not reach

Breath of start moving love

In a world dyed to your colour"

Kenshiro, as the lyrics continue to blast through the room, continued to work at a fast pace, healing the citizens and roughing up the bandits, with his precise and effective channeling.

The song continued, now the lyrics sounding sad yet romantic:

"As feelings overlap

Do not be afraid to hurt them

But I want to tell you now

I love you"

As soon as that last lyric is read, the strobe lights inside the clinic came on and spread of various colours, as Kenshiro kept working, with both speed and efficiency on the patients and the bandits.

The lyrics continued

"Turn around and look only at me

I do not want to lie anymore to you

I'm really afraid of strength, even though I want it

Reflected in the chest

All the feelings

Wrapped gently"

As soon as "wrapped gently" was said, Kenshiro went to work on a wild, red-haired bandit wearing a mask, and rained punches on him like a machine gun, screaming out "ATATATATATATATATATATATATA!"

He finished the attack with one punch on the head, while screaming out "OWA-TAAAH!"

Kenshiro turned around and said, "You… are already dead."

…

"What?" The bandit cried

And then… His body rocked around slowly, sped up and his head exploded!

Kenshiro yelled, "PROCEDURE COMPLETE!"

The crowd of healed patients cheered behind Kenshiro, who raised his finger on his right hand in the air and bending his body to the left. Nanashi and Nana clapped, with Nana crying out, "Yay!"

"Take two and call me in the morning." Kenshiro quipped

* * *

"I have come to a conclusion…" Nana began,

Silence then filled the room as Kenshiro, Mao and Nanashi listened. For Nanashi, he is used to this in his old home of Akihabara. If his sister asked him to go fetch something for her, he would do it. Even if his sister doesn't like the idea of going out. But he also recognizes that she is very perceptive, when it comes to assessing a number of situations, like the incident that Nanashi was involved.

"My Bro-Oh was right to look up to you." She said to Kenshiro,

Kenshiro didn't say anything. "I expect you take good care of him when he needs you the most." Nana said,

Kenshiro then smiled a bit and said, "Sure."

"Well done, Dr. Kenshiro!" Mao cried, "You made the patients very happy! I'm impressed with your work and I'm sure Nanashi and Nana feel the same way!"

Nanashi smiles at Kenshiro, and said, "You're just what I thought you are… Amazing at what you do."

"Anyways, let's head somewhere else. I'll see you later, sis?" He said,

"Sure, Brotician!" Nana replied, "I'll head back to Mr. Kenshiro's room."

"Sounds good." Nanashi replied, "See you soon."

* * *

"Let's head to the Rusty Nail." Kenshiro suggested, now back in his usual blue leather jacket and silver shoulder pads, "I get the feeling that Shion… if that's her name…"

"Likes you?" Nanashi said, "Oh, don't worry. I was a little taken aback as well, but she's like that with every one. Especially men like us."

Both guys walked south along Respite Street and into the Junk District. Soon, they came across a building with neon lights that read "Rusty Nail" and a picture of a bottle, and next to that, the word "Bar" is all capitalized. Kenshiro turned to Nanashi and asked, "Are you OK to enter? I'm not sure if I can serve you or your friends, outside of Shion."

"It'll be OK." Nanashi replied, "I'm very curious about how you mix and serve your drinks…"

"If you are sure." Kenshiro replied and then, they both entered the door.

* * *

Inside the bar is very quaint and nice, with two tables on the south end of the bar filled up nicely, with citizens and law-abiding bandits alike. There was also a second bar with a number of men, held a conversation about stuff they did during the day and the arrival of Nanashi and his group. All of this is going, with an accompaniment of a nice jazzy song in the background, playing in the entire facility.

Speaking of Nanashi, he and Kenshiro walked up to the main bar with the neon signs and various wine bottles in the back. Standing on the other side is an old man with a white shirt, covered by a black vest. He noticed Kenshiro and said, "Always a pleasure to see you, Kenshiro. Ready to get to work today?"

"Certainly." Kenshiro replied,

* * *

A few minutes later, Kenshiro appeared in a black tuxedo, with a white shirt and an accompanying black bow tie. Nanashi looked at him and thought, "Wow… And here I thought Zenya Amo was the better dressed. Kenshiro topped him by a long shot!"

Kenshiro took his place at the counter, standing still. He noticed Shion coming in, with a smile on her face. She walked up to the bar and Kenshiro said, "Welcome."

Shion looked at Kenshiro and said, in her usual seductive voice, "I'm rather impressed! Not many men I worked with in the past can wear a suit just like you can. Not even my former subordinate, Koma Sakaguchi."

"But enough about that." She continued, "I want to test if you're just as good as people say you are mixing drinks. I'll take a dry one."

"Certainly." Kenshiro replied, and lifted a gigantic ice block with his one hand. He picked up an ice pick on the other.

Nanashi looked on and made a shocked expression. "Whoa!" He thought, "I knew he had super strength, but I didn't think picking something as heavy as a very cold ice block would be a skill to have!"

Kenshiro then carved the ice slowly, and then he sped up considerably, ensuring the big ice block is smaller, but perfectly round like a sphere. And then…

…

Kenshiro sped up his carving at Mach speed, until… he carved the perfect ice sphere at a size to fit in a glass, and he cried "Order up!"

He then poured some wines and cocktails into a glass, and gently dropped the sphere into the glass. He presented the green drink to Shion, and he simply said,

"Hokuto Hundred-Proof Rush."

Shion took a sip of the drink Kenshiro made. She cried, "Delicious!"

She continued, saying "You are just as they say you are. A hot guy like you, mixing drinks with Hokuto Shinken? I feel like I'm in love."

Kenshiro didn't say anything as Shion finished her drink. "Tell you what. Maybe I'll ask a little more about you when I get the chance next time… See you soon." Shion said, and dropped a tip, worth of IDL, near Kenshiro. She then got up and left the bar.

* * *

A short while later, Shizuku arrived and saw both Nanashi and Kenshiro. She walked up to Nanashi, and gave him a short kiss and said, "I heard both of you were here. I'm actually thirsty. We should get a drink together."

"Are you sure, Shizuku?" Nanashi asked, "I'm not sure if a Nighteater like yourself, can hold liquor…"

"I can at least try." She replied and walked up to the bar where Kenshiro is situated. Nanashi followed her.

"Welcome." Kenshiro began,

"Umm… Mr. Kenshiro." Shizuku began, stoic but nervous, "I never been to a bar back home in Akihabara… So, I don't know what drink you would recommend to me…"

Both Kenshiro and Nanashi looked at Shizuku. Kenshiro asked, "What do you think she should try?"

Nanashi responded saying, "Well… Knowing myself, I have never drank anything but I can at least hold my liquor if I did. I think something strong for the both of us… just to try. If anything, I'm here as her boyfriend."

"Certainly." Kenshiro replied and got to work by lifting a gigantic ice block with one hand, and picking up an ice pick with the other

He carved the ice block slowly to start. Then, he sped up his carving, making sure the ice block can be as round as a ball. And then…

…

Kenshiro sped up his carving at Mach speed, until… he carved the perfect ice sphere at a size to fit in a glass, and he cried "Order up!"

He then poured some wines and cocktails into two glasses, cut the ice sphere in half, and gently dropped the half spheres into the glasses. He presented the golden drinks into a glasses. He then simply said,

"Inebriation of Souls."

Both Nanashi and Shizuku took a sip of Kenshiro's signature drink in their respective glasses. "Wow…" They both cried

"If there was a first time trying a drink that is mixed by someone I never knew about," Shizuku began, "I'm glad it's you, Mr. Kenshiro."

"I agree." Nanashi replied, "It's the first drink I've tried in my entire life. And it's just as delicious as it sounds. Well done, Mr. Kenshiro."

Kenshiro said nothing, but gave a slight smile at how good Nanashi and Shizuku are together. He wished to be the same with Yuria, but he recognizes that he has a long way to go before that can happen, with everything going in Eden and the Army of Ruin.


	3. The Maidens of Eden

Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise/Hokuto ga Gotoku: (c) SEGA  
Fist of the North Star/Hokuto no Ken: (c) Buronson & Tetsuo Hara/NSP 1983, Approved No. GA-217  
Akiba's Trip: Undead & Undressed: (c) ACQUIRE/XSeed Games/Marvelous USA Inc.

* * *

Chapter 3: The Maidens of Eden

Shortly after Nanashi and Shizuku had their drinks, paid for them and left the Rusty Nail to explore Eden a bit more, Kenshiro went about his business as the bartender and kept serving and mixing drinks to his regulars and new customers that happen to walk in. He likes his job, and another that he is doing… But mainly because he takes it seriously, despite the surprised expressions from his companions from the old district of Akihabara.

A few hours later, Shion arrived back at the bar and sat at the counter where Kenshiro is. "Welcome." He simply said,

"I'm back." Shion said, in her usual seductive tone, "I have to say, Mr. Kenshiro… I had to come back here because I found you alluring… But you've got secrets. And I really hope to get to know you more… So, here's what I'll do… I'll ask for a bitter drink. In return, I would like to hear one interesting fact about yourself."

"One… interesting fact?" Kenshiro asked,

Shion nodded slowly, then he replied, "Certainly."

* * *

Kenshiro got a glass and poured a green-coloured liquid into the glass, along with a gold-coloured liquid and a juice. He got a spinner and began to mix the liquids slowly. Soon, and just like the ice block, he began to spin at a considerably faster pace. And then…

…

He then spun very fast, with a blue aura around him. Then he removed the spinner and cried "And… Done!"

He presented the drink to Shion and simply said…

"Southern Cross Metropolis."

* * *

Shion took a sip of the blue drink, with Kenshiro watching, with his usual stoic expression. "Delicious." Shion remarked

"As per your request," Kenshiro said, "I will reveal one thing about myself."

Silence filled the main bar as Kenshiro tried to think up something about himself.

He finally said as he shook his head, "I'm sorry. But I'm not very good at social skills."

"It's OK." Shion replied, "If what I know from the stories Nanashi has shown me, then I see that you're the strong and silent type. I like that in a man."

She continued, "I used to work for a big company before the nuclear war happened. What we did is come up with new medicine and drugs for people. But when I heard and saw that Nanashi was a Synthister, I knew right away that making a medicine to cure him and rid him of his vampire-like curse was a priority for me. Unfortunately, some of my subordinates, including an old man named Koma Sakaguchi, never saw eye-to-eye with me. Plus, I took notice of his dirty laundry and had to air it out, alongside my newfound friends. Thus, the cure was never developed."

"But Nanashi is a strong boy. He is just as amazing as you are. You should see him in action, Mr. Kenshiro."

Kenshiro didn't say anything, but knows that Nanashi can go on to do great things.

* * *

After Kenshiro finished his shift at the Rusty Nail, he and Nanashi met outside the bar itself. It is currently night time in Eden. The lights in many establishments have turned on, and many torches in select places are lit.

"Whew…" Nanashi said, "I forgotten what it's like to be out in the dark. Back in my old home, it was always sunny, and… yeah."

"I do have to ask something, Nanashi." Kenshiro said, "Are you stronger at night?"

"Good question." Nanashi replied, "I never really thought of that before. I do want to test my strength at some point…"

"I see…" Kenshiro replied,

"Anyways, I want to check on Rin." Nanashi said, "I'm curious to know if she got a new audience in Eden."

"She said that was near the giant bell near the Bazaar?" Kenshiro asked,

"I do remember hearing that." Nanashi replied, "Let's check in on her now."

Both men went south and turned right into a street that led into a wide-open plaza near the Bazaar. Sure enough, Rin was singing and there was an audience, cheering and dropping IDL in her keyboard case.

After she finished a song, she announced to the audience, "Did you enjoy it, my dear little sheeplings? Our time is short, so I'll spare you the preamble and just borrow your ears! All I ask is five minutes of your time…"

"To present my song to debut here in Eden… 'eternity of earth'!"

Rin began pressing a few notes in her electric keyboard and began playing the song. The crowd continued to cheer and drop a lot of IDL. More people heard her tune and followed suit. Kenshiro noticed this and said to Nanashi, "I have to admit, she has a lovely voice. Just as lovely as Yuria."

"I agree." Nanashi replied, "Rin is the total package. You need someone to entertain, she's your girl."

"Hmm…" Kenshiro thought, "Maybe I could invite her to the Nightclub to work as a hostess…"

"Hey!" Someone cried, "You're too damn loud!"

Just then, a group of bandits, exactly 7 of them, approached Rin. She stopped the song and said, "Ooh. More sheeplings? Are you here to be serenaded?"

"No!" The giant bald bandit yelled, "We're here to shut your yap! We can't think with all this noise!"

"Hey, boss!" His blue mohawk-haired subordinate cried, noticing Rin's petite figure and face, "She's so cute! I bet she could fetch us a lot of money…"

"And how about this?!" Cried the big overweight bandit with green hair sticking out of his head as he pointed toward Rin's keyboard case, "She earned a ton of IDL! What shall we do with her, boss?!"

"Hmm…" The giant bald bandit said, "Great idea, boys! We can take her AND the money for ourselves!"

Rin chuckled nervously. She was never used to getting kidnapped, during her work as an idol back in her old home of Akihabara. Unfortunately, she is not at her old home anymore. And now she has to deal with unsavoury types.

"Hey! Come on, guys!" A citizen with a turban over his head cried, "You're ruining this girl's wonderful show!"

"You shut your yap!" The giant bald bandit yelled back, "Or else you want to die, right here and now!"

Rin quivered as the bandits creeped closer to her, chuckling and laughing at the possible nasty things they might do to her. "Help! Help me, minions!"

"Bastards…" Kenshiro cried,

"Time for us to step in." Nanashi agreed and they both walked closer to the bandits

Kenshiro and Nanashi approached the bandits. "Hey." Kenshiro began, "You need to lay off. Girls like her are off limits."

The giant bald bandit turned to Kenshiro, and he cried, "Huh?! And who the fuck are you two?!"

"For starters, I'm her friend." Nanashi replied, "And you're really walking on thin ice."

"You're just a little twerp!" The giant bald bandit yelled at Nanashi, "You think you can take us all on?!"

Then, he yelled, "Hey, boys!"

Eight more bandits of various sizes and looks, possessing weapons like crossbows, bats and large axes crowded around the plaza, surrounding Kenshiro, Nanashi and Rin. "Give this twerp a beat down he'll remember for the rest of his life!"

"You must stay back." Kenshiro told Nanashi as he cracked his knuckles

As soon as Kenshiro got his fighting stance, with his right hand up and his left one down at waist level, Nanashi replied as he got in his boxing stance, "No, Mr. Kenshiro. I'm not going to sit by and let you have all the fun. You'd be surprised at how strong I am."

Then, he turned to Rin. "Rin! Stand back, OK? This fight might get messy."

Rin cried, "OK, minion! Do what you do best!" She ran towards the citizens.

The giant bald bandit yelled, "This is both your tombs! Now die!"

* * *

With that, he took his giant hammer out. "Whoa! That's a big hammer!" Nanashi thought, "I better leave that guy to Mr. Kenshiro!"

Nanashi went to work on a bandit with a small bat. He gave him a couple of punches to the chest and a jump kick to the chest, immediately dizzying the bandit.

Kenshiro hit a bandit with a couple of jabs, a kick and a quick hand on his stomach. Once Kenshiro released the hand, the bandit rocked around for bit and his head exploded! The bandit cried just before it happened, "OH SHI-!"

A red mohawk-haired bandit readied his crossbow to fire at arrow, aiming at Kenshiro's head! He fired the arrow. Nanashi saw it and yelled, "Mr. Kenshiro!"

Kenshiro quickly saw the arrow, caught it with his two fingers and returned it perfectly back to the shooter! At his head, no less!

"A little thing called… **TWO FINGER INTERCEPTION!** " Kenshiro yelled,

The bandit fell down backwards to his death. Another bandit rushed at Kenshiro with his bat, about to whack him. Until… Nanashi slid into his path and tripped the bandit up, like a baseball player colliding onto another.

This stunned the bandit, allowing Kenshiro to strike the channeling point on his head, and the bandit's body rocked around for a while and his head exploded! "Thanks." Kenshiro replied,

"Not a problem." Nanashi said back, "Shall we… Successor?"

Kenshiro nodded as he and Nanashi faced the remaining twelve bandits. Nanashi charged towards a purple face-painted bandit, punched him twice low and followed up his combo with a sweep kick. The bandit tripped down. The bandit cried, "I'll kill you…!"

Nanashi leaped in place, now thinking to himself, "Man, this is fun! I never fought with so much strength and power before, and with the Successor by my side, we can do anything!"

The bandit got up and attempted to bash Nanashi in the skull…

Until Kenshiro came to his aid and popped his fingers into both sides of the bandit's skull! He held for a few seconds and removed them.

" **HOKUTO FIST OF PENITENCE!** "

Nanashi looked up to Kenshiro and said, "Thanks, Mr. Kenshiro."

Kenshiro looked at Nanashi and replied, "Not a problem." And he turned to the bandit he just eliminated. "He's got three seconds left…"

"What do you mean…" the bandit cried, and then he began to whimper as his head shook slightly violently, "No… It can't be! Let me go!"

And then… KABLOOM! His head exploded!

Kenshiro and Nanashi looked around, with backs toward each other, hearing taunts from the other bandits. Some said, "You scared?!"

Another cried, "I'm falling asleep here!"

"Still up for giving them a show?" Kenshiro asked,

"You bet, Mr. Kenshiro!" Nanashi cried,

Nanashi went to work on another bandit. He slid down to strike the bandit on the knee, forcing him to kneel. Kenshiro ran up and raised his right arm… and slammed it down on the bandit's head!

" **STONE MOUNTAIN SPLITTING SLASH!** "

The bandit cried to his death, after that massive "headache" Kenshiro gave him.

The overweight bandit from before raised his arms up. Nanashi punched him, but… the overweight bandit spun himself with his arms out, hitting Nanashi with his punches. "Ow!" Nanashi cried as he fell and got up quickly.

Kenshiro was already charging his body in a wide stance. Then he rushed to the overweight bandit and hit his channeling point on the head. The bandit remained still and cried, "I… I can't move!"

Kenshiro, with his finger, picked up the overweight bandit's head, and spun him around! His body smacked four bandits around him as he spun. Kenshiro then lets go of the bandit, into the sky above.

" **HOKUTO HORDEBREAKER STRIKE!** "

The bandit's body expanded in several places and exploded! The bandits that were smacked all died from the heavy hit, with their heads exploding. The blue mohawk-haired bandit was shaking in fear. "W… What?! How can this be?!" he cried,

"Don't give up!" The giant bald leader yelled, "We still outnumber them!"

"He's right!" Another bandit cried, "Let's kill them!"

"Watch this." Kenshiro said to Nanashi, and he put his hands together…

He quickly sped to the smaller bandits and hit their channeling points on the head. Then, he pointed his finger across at Nanashi and turned around. The bandits' heads exploded!

"No… No!" The giant bald bandit yelled, "This can't be happening!"

He growled in a fit of rage and screamed, "I'LL KILL YOU BOTH!"

The giant bald bandit lifted his giant hammer and swung three times at Kenshiro and Nanashi. Both guys dodged the swings. Kenshiro then punched the giant bald bandit twice, kicked him, rapidly punched him and hit his channeling point on the back.

"Here it comes…" Nanashi thought, as he knows what's coming next.

Kenshiro rapidly rained punches on the giant bald bandit's chest, like a hurricane, while crying out "ATATATATATATATATATATATATATA!"

Then, he finished his attack, with a shot on the giant bald bandit's head, crying out "OWATAAAH!"

"There it is…" Nanashi said, quietly.

Then, both Kenshiro and Nanashi said, loud and quietly, respectively,

" **HOKUTO HUNDRED-FIST RUSH!** "

Kenshiro turned around and said… "You… are already dead."

…

"What?" the giant bald bandit said,

Then, his body shook violently, and his head exploded!

* * *

Both Kenshiro and Nanashi panted and placed their hands on their respective chests. "Whew…" Nanashi said, "I never felt this good in a long time."

The audience around them, slowly began to clap. Then, it grew to loud cheering for both men. Both guys bowed.

Rin decided to come near Kenshiro and Nanashi and said, "Thank you for being here, everyone. Even if we did… overexcite a few of you… I'll have more surprise shows in the future. Your adoration is always welcome!"

"Wow! You're the real deal!" One citizen cried out, "We would love to see you again!"

"Yeah, yeah! More shows! More shows!" Another citizen cried out,

The crowd roared in approval. "Until we meet again, my dear little sheeplings." Rin said,

* * *

"You're late, you know!" Rin cried out, "This is why you're always going to be my minion!"

"I'm sorry…" Nanashi replied, feeling extremely sheepish

"It's not his fault." Kenshiro replied, "If anything, that's on me. I finished my bartending shift late and I made him late as a result."

Rin looked down. Then she said, "Thank you… both of you."

Then, she looked at Kenshiro. "I'm amazed that you can fight so well! Now I know why Nanashi looks up to you!"

"Tell you what, since I got all this IDL and you both saved my life, I think you guys deserve a treat!" Rin cried, "Take my minion and go with him to the Casino. Kati should be there." She handed Kenshiro 10,000 IDL in a small bag.

Kenshiro replied, "Thank you."

"You better behave yourself at the Casino, minion!" Rin yelled to Nanashi

"All right, fine…" Nanashi replied, "Let's just go, Mr. Kenshiro."

"Yeah…" Kenshiro replied,

"I'm going to rest." Rin said, "I need my voice ahead of tomorrow." And she entered Kenshiro's room.

"Don't mind Rin." Nanashi said, "She's usually very icy towards me."

"Not a problem, Nanashi." Kenshiro replied as they both proceeded north along the Chimney District.

Then, they both walked up the stairs into the Casino Road. Then, they found a small stairway, which led to a pair of giant gold doors, and neon lights. At the top of the door is the word "CASINO", glittering in a multitude of colours. "Shall we go in?" Kenshiro asked,

"Yes. Let's." Nanashi replied, and they both walked through the doors

* * *

Kenshiro and Nanashi were inside a octagon-shaped room with a bright neon light on a pagoda-like structure in the middle of the room. Along the sides of the room are tables lined up of various gambling games like roulette, blackjack, baccarat and poker, with people playing them. On the side, near the entryway, is a counter where people can exchange IDL for chips to play the games and can give back the chips, in exchange for prizes. All of this is going on, while a nice jazzy piece is playing in the background.

Nanashi looked around and thought, "Is this what people entertain themselves with? I'm sure there must be more to this town…"

Then, he noticed Kati in her maid outfit, greeting patrons. Whenever one came by, she said, always in a happy mood, "Welcome! Please enjoy yourself!"

Kati quickly noticed Kenshiro and Nanashi and greeted them both, saying, "Welcome, Masters! Please enjoy yourselves!"

"Hey, Kati." Nanashi replied, "Nice work tonight. I didn't think you had it in you to welcome people outside of me."

"Thank you, Master." Kati replied,

"I do concur." Someone said and in came a tall purple long-haired woman, with matching long sleeves, bra, leggings and boots, and silver shoulder pads.

Kenshiro noticed and said, "Good evening, Lyra."

"Hello, Kenshiro." She replied, and she looked at Nanashi. "So you must be the boy who brought all these young women here. I'm actually quite impressed at how you handled yourself with Kenshiro by your side."

"Umm…" Nanashi scratched his head, looking at Lyra's… assets. "Thank you?"

Lyra giggled. "No need to be shy. Besides, I have the perfect job for you, for your stay in Eden. But I want to discuss the particulars with you, and I want Kati to be involved in the discussion."

"Uh… sure." Nanashi replied, "I'll see you soon, Kenshiro?"

"Yeah…" Kenshiro said,

Nanashi and Kati followed Lyra outside. Kenshiro exchanged the IDL he got from Rin for 100 chips and he went to play roulette.

* * *

Nanashi, Kati and Lyra went down the small stairwell. They stopped once they reached the bottom stair.

"So, Nanashi…" Lyra said, "You came at quite a good time. We recently have new people coming here in Eden every day and night."

"Hm. That so?" Nanashi replied,

"Oh yes." Lyra answered, with confidence, "But first… A little bit about myself. My name is Lyra. Not only do I announce in the Colosseum, where we have bloodthirsty criminals fight to earn their freedom, but I also own the Nightclub."

"The Nightbulb?" Kati asked, "What is that?"

Not picking up on Kati's verbal mishap, Lyra replied, "The Nightclub is a symbol of Eden. It's a wonderful place where men gather and talk to women of various kinds. You see, in difficult times, places like these are an oasis. It's important that we give people that escape."

"Did you know that Kenshiro is the manager of the Nightclub?"

"Wait…" Nanashi cried, "Are you saying that Mr. Kenshiro manages the Nightclub?!"

"Oh yes." Lyra replied, "He keeps the Nightclub out of trouble and makes sure it looks good, sort of like the behind-the-scenes guy. He also assigns the right girls to the right customers. He figures out what the customers want and see if he can match their needs. He is also responsible for keeping riff-raff out. And of course, he gets paid handsomely."

"Since you brought a number of girls with you all the way to Eden, what do you think about becoming manager for the day?"

"Wait… me?!" Nanashi cried, "The Manager for your Nightclub?!"

"Yes." Lyra nodded, "Plus you already have the backing of each of your friends. I'm sure they're in good capable hands. Wouldn't you agree, Kati?"

"I wouldn't mind being a hostess at your establushment, Miss Lira." Kati replied, enthusiastic about the idea

"Plus, I've already talked to Rin, Shion and Nana." Lyra said, "Shion is thrilled with the idea. Although Rin and Nana are skeptical for their own reasons, I'm sure you'll figure out why… All I need to speak to are Shizuku and Tohko."

"Where, pray tell, do you think they are?" Lyra then asked,

"I'm not sure, Miss Lyra." Nanashi replied, "I know that Shizuku is out on the town. And I think Tohko is resting up, after spending a lot of time in the Colosseum. You didn't see her, did you?"

"Hmm…" Lyra mused, "Probably not. Maybe I'll meet her tomorrow… I do have a special match set up for Kenshiro, then."

"Well… duty calls." She then said, "Maybe I'll see you all tomorrow night? Hopefully, you all can make it a night to remember here in Eden…" And she walked off.

"I wonder what it is like being a hostess of a nightclub…" Kati said to Nanashi, "I think it'll be like being a maid in a café. It's going to be fun!"

"I think so, too…" Nanashi said as he looked up in the sky


	4. A Night to Remember

Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise/Hokuto ga Gotoku: (c) SEGA  
Fist of the North Star/Hokuto no Ken: (c) Buronson & Tetsuo Hara/NSP 1983, Approved No. GA-217  
Akiba's Trip: Undead & Undressed: (c) ACQUIRE/XSeed Games/Marvelous USA Inc.

* * *

Chapter 4: A Night to Remember

The next morning, Kenshiro found himself back at the Rusty Nail, working his bartending shift. He continued to mix and serve drinks to customers without a care in a world.

Just then, Shizuku arrived on her own and walked up to the counter where Kenshiro is. "Welcome." He simply said,

"Thank you for having me again." Shizuku said, "I want to surprise you with a fact, but before I reveal it… I would like to have a fruity drink. The best one you have."

"Certainly." Kenshiro replied,

* * *

Kenshiro got a glass and poured a pink-coloured liquid into the glass, along with a red-coloured liquid and a juice. He got a spinner and began to mix the liquids slowly. Soon, and just like the ice block, he began to spin at a considerably faster pace. And then…

…

He then spun very fast, with a blue aura around him. Then he removed the spinner and cried "Perfect!"

He presented the drink to Shion and simply said…

"Yuria Eternal."

* * *

Shizuku took a sip of the drink with Kenshiro, stoic as always, watching on. "Divine…" She mused,

"So… I'm actually 170 years of age, even though I look 17 or 18." Shizuku said, "It is more or less a perk of being a Nighteater."

"Can I ask what Nighteaters do?" Kenshiro asked, slightly surprised by Shizuku's actual age

"Yes." Shizuku responded, "We hunt down and kill Synthisters. Mainly by stripping off the clothes from their backs and exposing them to the sun. When I first met Nanashi, he was becoming one, thanks to a man named Zenya Amo."

"And who is Zenya?" Kenshiro asked,

"He was a man who called Nanashi in for an interview for a job. But it was a front for him to experiment on Nanashi. While Zenya did succeed in making him a Synthister, I saved his life… But then, Zenya was about to kill me until Nanashi intervened and took the fatal blow meant for me. We both escaped, and I formed a contract with Nanashi, by kissing him and becoming his familiar, which can only happen once in a Nighteater's life. Since then, we have become inseparable, even after saving Akihabara from becoming like the Cursed Village under the rule of my half-brother, Soga Kagutsuki."

Shizuku continued, "Jagre, while he found us, told us about the Cursed Village. It's more or less a ghost story about the villagers and bandits being inflicted with a deadly martial art known as Meito Kieiken."

Kenshiro remembered Jagre being inflicted with the martial art by an armoured man known as Kyo-Oh, who is a practitioner of Meito Kieiken, in which, while similar to Hokuto Shinken in that it destroys victims from inside, it actually drives said victims insane without leaving a mark on their body. He then had to drive him to Cassandra, a prison in the Wastelands, to be healed by his Hokuto Shinken brother, Toki. Both Kenshiro and Jagre traversed through the Cursed Village, located a few miles southwest of Eden, and saw the horror of Meito Kieiken fully inflicted on the bandits and villagers.

Kenshiro remembered what it was like. It was something that he hoped to not see again...

"Mr. Kenshiro," Shizuku said as she looked at her nearly finished drink, "This drink reminds me so much of how Nanashi and I love each other… It must be the same with your fiancée, Yuria, right? I think it is your best drink."

Kenshiro said nothing. He looked down, while still reminiscing about he and Yuria together. He recognizes that he still has a long way to go before the reunion can happen…

* * *

A few hours later, Kenshiro and Shizuku met outside the Rusty Nail bar. Shizuku, before Kenshiro called it a shift, gave him a big tip for the drink. "Thank you again, Mr. Kenshiro." Shizuku said, "It's no secret why Nanashi likes you so much."

Kenshiro did not say anything. "Anyways, I heard Nanashi is waiting at the Colosseum. I think I'm going to go and join him." Shizuku said

"OK." Kenshiro replied, "Just be careful."

"Thank you." Shizuku replied, bowed and ran off

Kenshiro thought, "Maybe I should head to the Colosseum… I did want to showcase a match for Nanashi and his friends."

Kenshiro ran north along Respite Street and west into the Cathedral Square. He noticed a man in a turban and wearing a large coat and gauntlets. "Right." Kenshiro thought, "I should speak to this member of the Watch."

The watchman noticed Kenshiro and said, "Good afternoon, Kenshiro. Welcome to the Colosseum. Lyra has prepared a special match for you, in honour of Nanashi and his friends coming to Eden. Are you prepared?"

Kenshiro waited for a few seconds before replying, "Yeah. I am ready."

"All right then." The watchman said,

* * *

Kenshiro did his usual walk through a catacombs, and up the stairs. He shielded himself from the bright sun.

What he found himself in was a wide-open arena, in an octagon shape, with pillars as tall as pyramids. Not that anyone in Eden knew what a pyramid is… Each side is lined up with spikes and swinging axes, as well as large torches. And every side, at a very tall height, are spectators standing along the edge, cheering and yelling.

Right on the east end, very high above where Kenshiro is, is a viewing gallery, draped with flags hanging downwards, gold decorations and ruby stones on the sun-shaped holders. Inside the viewing gallery… are Nanashi, Shizuku, Tohko, Rin, Shion, Kati and Nana.

Nanashi thought as he looked down at Kenshiro, "Is he used to this? He doesn't look fazed at all."

Nanashi's assessment of Kenshiro was spot on as the Hokuto Shinken practitioner walked to the middle of the arena, near some prisoners. Many of them are armed with poles, large axes, small axes and cleavers. One prisoner, who had a little bit of hair on his bald head approached Kenshiro. He said, "Well, looky here… You thought about what you want for your reward?"

Kenshiro did not reply, looking as stoic as ever. "He's so amazing…" Tohko thought, "I can't believe Nanashi never told me about him before! What a dumbass!"

"Well, lemme tell ya." The prisoner said, "I don't need freedom or anything. All I want…"

He walked closer to Kenshiro, "…is a nonstop bangin' with her!"

He looked up to find Lyra, in the announcer's podium. She has a big megaphone in her hand and she yelled, very enthusiastically, "Welcome to the Colosseum! Ladies and gentlemen, we are hosting a special edition of the Gladiator Games!"

"Round 1 will be a no rules, no time limit battle royale! The last prisoner standing wins our first round!" Lyra then smoked on her large cigar, which is a big one.

Then, she continued, "Has everyone placed their bets? Who lives? Who dies? Who's losing both their eyes?"

Then, she cried "All right, you filthy little degenerates! Listen up! It's time for Round 1, Match A! So, let's see some bloodshed!" She lifted her cigar in the sky and then the gong sounded.

* * *

Kenshiro went to work on the vulgar prisoner. He punched him twice, landed a double punch, gave him a flurry of kicks and finished his combo with a leaping spin kick, while crying out "WAAH-TAA!"

Kenshiro then gave a flurry of punches to a cleaver-wielding prisoner, finishing with a hard punch.

Nanashi and his friends watched on. "My gosh…" Tohko quipped, "Mr. Kenshiro is amazing! I never seen him fight with such poise and grace!"

Kenshiro saw the large axe-wielding prisoner about to chop him, until… he caught him, mid-swing! Both men gripped the large axe, but little did the prisoner know that Kenshiro clasped his hands instead, right to the fingers. And then…

BOOM! The prisoner's fingers (and the large axe) exploded!

" **EXPLODING FIVE-FINGER STRIKE!** "

Kenshiro kicked the prisoner, while giving his usual "AA-TAA!"

"Wow!" Tohko cried, "Mr. Kenshiro is showing no mercy!"

Kenshiro began to work on several more prisoners. As the fight grew longer, Tohko began to study more and more of his movements, poise and grace of his techniques.

Kenshiro dodged a punch coming towards him. He then hit the channeling points on the bicep of his attacker!

" **HOKUTO BONE DEMOLISHER!** "

The prisoner cried as he backed away, shaking, "P… Please! No!" He kept shaking, as his body kept expanding and then BOOM! His head popped like a balloon!

Nanashi and company were watching the match with great interest. That is, until a watchman came by. "Umm… Is there a 'Nanashi' present?"

Nanashi turned around. "Yes, that's me. Why?"

"You are requested to head to the catacombs of the Colosseum immediately." The watchman said, "Apparently, you have been set to fight in the next round."

"Wait… what?!" Nanashi cried,

"Did I hear that right?!" Tohko yelled as she turned around, "You're asking Nanashi to fight in the Colosseum?!" The rest of her friends followed suit, about to protest.

"Yes… As per Miss Lyra's request." The watchman replied,

Nanashi looked down. He has been in many battles back at his old home in Akihabara, but many of his opponents were enemy Synthisters, and love or it hate it, he stripped them bare naked. If last night was a practice before the test, then he fighting in the Colosseum, with more people in Eden watching, is considered his test.

Nanashi then looked up at the watchman and said, "I accept Miss Lyra's request. I'll follow you down shortly."

Everyone behind him was appalled. Nana cried, "Brorrior! Don't leave your lovely sis alone!"

Tohko yelled, "You dumbass! You're not strong enough! And imagine going up against Mr. Kenshiro!"

"That's a risk I'm taking." Nanashi said, and he turned his head towards Tohko, with a slightly cocky expression, "Besides… I do want to test my strength against his Hokuto Shinken."

"Besides… there's enough shade to prevent me from dying." He continued, pointing across the arena, where the shade is.

Tohko knew, despite growing up together long before the nuclear war, that this was an argument she is not going to win. "OK, Nanashi." She then hugged him, "Come back safe, OK?! I'll never forgive you if you die!"

Nanashi responded by hugging Tohko back. He then said, "I'll be careful."

He then let her go and followed the watchman down to the catacombs.

Meanwhile, at the ground level of the arena itself, Kenshiro is down to his final opponent… The vulgar prisoner who wanted to get it on with Lyra, should he win. Kenshiro hit him with two punches, a kick and did a spinning touch on the head, striking the channeling point. The vulgar prisoner cried, "Wh-What?! I can't move!"

Then, Kenshiro gripped the vulgar prisoner's head with his right hand, clenched his right wrist with the left hand and…

SNAP!

" **HOKUTO STEEL SHREDDING CLENCH!** "

Kenshiro let go of the prisoner as he slumped to his death…

* * *

"That's it!" Lyra cried, "Our winner is… Kenshiro!" She raised her cigar in the air.

The crowd cheered, as Nanashi's friends have worried to scared expressions. "This is insane!" Rin cried, "Has the minion known what he's getting himself into?!"

Lyra continued, "Our next battle is a tag match. The winners from the last round will split into two teams and fight to the death! The rules are simple, just like last time. Whichever side takes down the opposing team wins. And I'll be picking the teams, of course."

Almost immediately, there was a guttural roar from the spectators as Nanashi entered the arena. Lyra then pointed to Nanashi, "You…"

And then she pointed to Kenshiro. "And you, are a team now!"

Kenshiro saw Nanashi and had a slightly shocked expression. "Nanashi?!" He cried, "What are you doing here?!"

"If last night was a practice before the test," Nanashi said, looking at Kenshiro "Then this, to me, is my test. Besides, you need me. I can't sit by and let you have all the fun."

Kenshiro smiled slightly and replied, "Sure." He then got into his stance, as did Nanashi.

On the other side, they are facing two men. One of them wore purple pants and was holding an axe. The other is much larger, has a red mohawk and is holding a hammer. The axe-wielder laughed and then said, "I'm gonna make you scrawny punks bleed!"

The red mohawk man yelled, "Hey, you! Don't get in my way! Or you're goin' to Hell with 'em!"

The axe-wielded yelled back, "The hell'd you say, punk?! Same goes to you!"

Lyra was quick to notice that and said, "Ah, almost forgot. If teammates attack each other, you're both disqualified! And you can't kill your partner, of course. Teammates have to work together…! Am I clear?"

The punks weren't too happy, but they got ready with their weapons. Kenshiro and Nanashi are in their respective fighting stances. Lyra cried, "Now, it's showtime! The next fight begins now!"

* * *

"I got the axe guy." Nanashi said, "Focus on hammer man, Mr. Kenshiro."

"Got it." Kenshiro replied and went right to work on hitting the hammer-wielding prisoner with his attacks.

Nanashi hit the axe-wielder with low strikes and a sweep kick. The prisoner swung his axe at Nanashi, but he dodged it with efficiency and quickness! Nanashi countered with a spinning backwards punch on the chest.

Kenshiro immediately thought up how to eliminate the hammer-holding prisoner. He charged his ki in a wide stance, rushed up to the large prisoner and hit the channeling point on his head. The prisoner cried, "My head! It hurts…"

Kenshiro rushed up, bashed his feet onto the large prisoner's chest, giving him a bounce up and… SMASH! Kenshiro delivered a harsh right kick to the head!

" **HOKUTO RISING THUNDER KICK!** "

Kenshiro jumped down and saw the large prisoner's body expand in some places and then… BOOM! His head exploded!

From the viewing gallery, Shion said, "Nanashi really wants this. He feels like he was never useful, even going back to our days in our old home, but I think he's got something hidden in him…"

Shizuku looked on, with not only great interest, but great concern as well. "What if Shion's right?" She thought, "Maybe Nanashi has something hidden within him that I never knew…? Is he truly getting stronger?"

Nanashi slid and hit the axe-wielder's knees, forcing his enemy to kneel. "Mr. Kenshiro!" He yelled,

"Right!" Kenshiro replied and ran up to the axe-wielder. He lifted his right hand… and CHOPPED it down like an axe on the axe-wielder's head!

" **STONE MOUNTAIN SPLITTING SLASH!** "

The prisoner had his skull, cut in half as he fell backwards to his death.

* * *

"You sure you're up for this?" Kenshiro asked,

"Never in my life have I been ready to take on a challenge like this one, Mr. Kenshiro." Nanashi replied,

He then walked to the other side facing him. "Me being a Synthister, a Nighteater… A familiar… It's both a gift and a curse. For a long time, I thought I would never be as strong as I am today. But here I am, now happy to have a real fight on my hands."

"I do want to ask, Nanashi," Kenshiro said, "What are your fists used for? And what is their purpose?"

"To strip." Nanashi replied, "To strip people's clothing off their backs, as strange as it sounds. But I want to do more than that."

"I've looked up to you, Mr. Kenshiro. I read your stories, watched your series and played your games… I finally get the chance to meet you in-person. And I finally seen what Hokuto Shinken is truly like. Now… if I lose all my clothing in the future, I can die happy knowing all of that. But… there's one thing I want to test myself on…"

"And what's that?" Kenshiro asked,

"To test my strength… my will… and my conviction and see how I well I match up against you." Nanashi replied, and then asked, "Will you fight me, Mr. Kenshiro?"

Kenshiro thought about what Nanashi said. Most fighters would use their style, simply to kill and get stronger. But he looked at Nanashi and the fact that he fought by stripping people is unique.

Kenshiro looked at Nanashi and said, "Of course. I will grant you that duel." He then got into his stance. "Do not hold anything back."

"I have no intention to, Mr. Kenshiro." Nanashi replied, already in his fighting stance as his friends watched on in the viewing gallery, all of them nervous and scared for him

Lyra saw this and said, over her megaphone, "And now, it's down to two! One on one, martial artist against street fighter! A real duel, folks! …Fight!"

* * *

Nanashi rushed at Kenshiro but stopped for a moment. He thought, "I don't know what I'm getting myself into, but if I focus, I can fight well!"

He then did his middle punches and a jump kick on Kenshiro. Kenshiro easily blocked them. "Hm." The Hokuto Shinken practitioner said, "You lack conviction. I need to see more from you! Now it's my turn!"

Kenshiro hit Nanashi with his bread-and-butter combo of two punches, a kick and rapid-fire punches. He finished a combo with a big punch that sent Nanashi flying.

Kenshiro rushed to Nanashi, who was near the shaded area of the arena. Nanashi got up, saying, "I never expected any less from you, Mr. Kenshiro…"

Nanashi winded up for a haymaker punch… But Kenshiro easily dodged it. Kenshiro then bashed Nanashi with a punch and a channeling point strike to the head. And then…

Kenshiro stuck his left thumb underneath Nanashi's chin, gave him a backward slap with his right hand and finished it off with a frontwards slap!

" **PHANTOM CHANNELING POINT.** "

Nanashi simply slumped down. But then…

He slowly got up… "I'm… not done yet!" He cried,

"How is this dumbass still up?!" Tohko yelled, "He could have died from that alone!"

Nanashi delivered a couple of punches and finished his combo with a spinning backwards punch. Kenshiro just simply felt it like a teddy bear cuddling him.

"I'm not really feeling anything." Kenshiro mused as Nanashi kept trying to punch and kick him,

Then, Nanashi lunged at Kenshiro's upper body and gripped onto his leather jacket! Nanashi grunted as he tried to pull it off the Hokuto Shinken practitioner. Kenshiro took notice and said, "So, this is how you fight, hm? Well, then… Allow me to help you!"

Kenshiro then crossed his arms, and… BLAM! Nanashi was blown back! And Kenshiro is engulfed in a red flaming aura around him, now that he is half-naked from the upper body, while also revealing the Seven Scars, shaped like the Big Dipper constellation on his chest! Nanashi put himself together and landed on his feet in the unshaded area of the arena!

"I was waiting for that, Mr. Kenshiro!" Nanashi cried, "Now it's my turn!"

He then crossed his arms and… BOOM! Nanashi is now in a flaming light purple aura, now half-naked from the upper body!

Kenshiro simply smiled. In the viewing gallery, however…

"No way…" Shizuku cried as she watched her boyfriend attained his newfound power, "I have never seen this before." She turned to Rin. "Rin, have you witnessed this?"

"No!" Rin cried, "This is my first time, too!"

"Now it's time to even the odds!" Nanashi cried and he did a backflip. He crouched down and spun his body right at Kenshiro! Kenshiro got flown backwards!

Kenshiro flipped back to his feet. "Nicely done, Nanashi." He quipped, "This is what I wanted from you! Show me you have it!"

Kenshiro leaped up in the sky and dove right at Nanashi! Kenshiro tried his rapid-fire kicks, but Nanashi dodged them all! Kenshiro landed down. Right at that moment, Nanashi spun his body with his arms out, doing a mini-lariat on Kenshiro! Every punch connected!

Kenshiro then punched Nanashi twice and did a high kick to send the boy up in the sky. Kenshiro followed it up by jumping up and landing an axe kick in the air to smash Nanashi down! Kenshiro landed down, jumped up on the already downed Nanashi and delivered a massive punch that was aimed to Nanashi's face!

Everyone in the Colosseum, from the spectators and Nanashi's friends, were watching and started to feel very tense at the next moment.

And then…

…

Nanashi caught the punch with both hands! Both guys grunted as one was close to completing the technique and the other preventing it from connecting. "You're not…" Nanashi grunted, "Trying the… 'Hokuto Eight Pains Nine Hells'… on me!"

"I can't believe it!" Kati cried, "Master is surviving the fight!"

"I'm impressed by the strength of both men…" Shion mused,

Nanashi grunted and tossed Kenshiro aside! Nanashi spun up with his legs extended and did a pirouette to finish getting up. Nanashi then rolled and did a low kick towards Kenshiro. Kenshiro swayed back to avoid the kick and followed it up with a high punch that sent Nanashi high in the air.

Kenshiro then rapidly punched Nanashi in the back, like a machine gun, while crying out, "ATATATATATATATATATATA!"

Then, he delivered one more punch to the back of the boy with a "OWA-TAAAA!"

" **HOKUTO WINGBREAKER!** "

Nanashi simply fell. The boy slowly, but surely got up. "I'm… not finished… yet." He cried,

"He's still getting up?!" Tohko yelled,

"How is this possible?!" Rin yelled,

"Stop, Bropetitor!" Nana cried, "You can't fight anymore!"

Nanashi leapt backwards. Kenshiro then cried, "Here I come!"

He jumped up, now having a green aura around him, and twisted his body to face Nanashi. "My gosh…" Nanashi cried, "Is that…?"

Kenshiro then rained punches on Nanashi's body, like a hurricane, while crying "ATATATATATATATATATA!"

Then, Kenshiro bashed Nanashi's chest with a "OWA-TAAAA!"

" **CELESTIAL HUNDRED-FIST RUSH!** "

Both guys landed on their feet. Nanashi, though… fell forward and laid down, finally unable to get up.

* * *

Kenshiro stood tall. Lyra cried out on the megaphone, "And the winner is… Kenshiro!"

The crowd roared, and lots of betting tickets were tossed down into the arena space as Kenshiro stood tall. He looked at the viewing gallery, giving a sad glare to Nanashi's friends.

* * *

A few hours later, at the Clinic, Nanashi had back his blue shirt and black undershirt. He also has recovered as Kenshiro had already operated on him. And by that, he healed the boy's body of all injuries sustained during the duel they just had together, with Hokuto Shinken.

Shizuku is with Nanashi, and she asked, "Nanashi… What's that power you just attained?"

"I don't know…" Nanashi replied, "It just… came to me from out of nowhere."

"Interesting." Shizuku replied, "I think it had to do with how you mentioned that you wanted to test your strength, your will and your conviction. Maybe it awakened when you kept fighting Mr. Kenshiro because you believed in us and wanted to protect us…"

"Maybe…" Nanashi replied,

"Plus, I noticed you used our moves when you fought Mr. Kenshiro. Mine, Rin's, Tohko's and Shion's." Shizuku pointed out, "And you were invulnerable to the sun. Although… I'm not sure if I can confirm that."

"I'm really surprised, too." Nanashi replied, "For the moves, I think I have been hanging around everyone for way too long. It can be a bit of an embarrassment sometimes." He chuckled nervously.

He then continued, "But for my invulnerability to the sun… Maybe it's just how long we've been together. Not just as Synthister, Nighteater and familiar… But also, as boyfriend and girlfriend."

"Maybe…" Shizuku replied, "In any case, I'm glad you're OK. I don't know how we would survive without you." She then gave him a passionate kiss.

Nanashi hugged Shizuku and kissed her back.

* * *

It is night time in Eden. Nanashi and Shizuku were walking around Eden, taking in the sights and sounds. Nanashi, with the IDL he has in possession, bought some food and small gifts for Shizuku. Shizuku smiled at Nanashi and cuddled with him, when such small gifts were purchased and handed to her.

They kept walking along the Neon District and the Cathedral Square until they came across a sight that is both familiar and unfamiliar. "Nanashi…" Shizuku cried, "Is this… like… Akihabara?"

"I don't know…" Nanashi replied, as he gazed at the bright lights, coming from the six pillars near the staircase leading into the Cathedral. There were more neon signs, some say "Nightclub", "Bar" and "Welcome". But one neon light in big, bright yellow neon lights on top of the central doors reads "Eden".

Nanashi and Shizuku were greeted by Xsana. "Impressive, isn't it?" she remarked,

"Can I ask what is it?" Nanashi asked,

"This is what the other side of Eden is." Xsana replied, "Allow me to explain."

"Please." Shizuku said, starting to gain interest

"Sphere City releases a huge amount of water twice a day. It happens at dawn and at dusk, like clockwork. To us, this water is a miraculous blessing. The morning water is given freely to the civilians. And at night, it is used to power the city itself. That is to say, we run it through a steam engine to produce a renewable energy source."

Nanashi and Shizuku turned to Xsana. Shizuku asked, "Why was something like this set up?"

Xsana answered, "It started when we erected a defensive perimeter to protect the town from bandits. This was once home to the first citizens of Eden."

"So this is where it all began…" Nanashi remarked,

"Now that we are a full-fledged city with proper defenses," Xsana continued, "These facilities have been repurposed."

They soon noticed men coming into the place. "It is only open at night, as a place to socialize and forget the world's troubles for a time."

"So, this is the Nightclub…" Nanashi said, "I wonder what it's like in there…"

"Why don't you two head on in?" Xsana suggested, "Besides… it's your big night tonight, Nanashi."

"Oh yeah…" Nanashi said, remembering what Lyra told him and Kati last night "That's right… Thank you, Lady Xsana." Both he and Shizuku bowed.

"I wish you both good luck." Xsana said as they both entered the Nightclub…

* * *

Inside the Nightclub, is a massive stage with a headpiece of an elephant in the back and more neon lights. There are a number of sofas and tables, lined up nice and neatly on each side, to fit the red colour scheme of the Nightclub. The lights also added to the atmosphere that made the Nightclub a wonderful place to drink and talk.

Nanashi and Shizuku walked in. Lyra approached them both. "Welcome to the Nightclub." She said,

"And I'm glad you both have made it. The other girls have gotten ready for tonight for our special day."

Lyra then turned to Shizuku. "Shizuku, please head into the changeroom in the back. I've prepared a special outfit for you. And you'll be able to meet your friends as well."

"Thank you, Miss Lyra." Shizuku replied, "I'll see you later, Nanashi." With that, she ran off.

"As for you…" Lyra said as she turned to Nanashi, looking at his thin figure "I have a special suit for you."

* * *

A few minutes later, Nanashi stood in the middle of the floor with all of his friends gathered around him, now in coloured dresses.

There was silence in the air, except for the club music playing in the background. Tohko, in her sleeveless green dress, with a bit of reveal of her legs, said slightly embarrassed "Just for the record… I never agreed to this."

Kati, still wearing her maid headdress, is now in her magenta long halter dress, happily cried, "This will be fun to be hostesses for a change! I'll definitely use my maid café experience to help us all out!"

Nana, in her black dress, with hems open to reveal her legs, said "I'm… not sure if I can do this… I'm not sure how I'll behave in front of older men…"

Nanashi, who is now in a black tuxedo with a blue bowtie, cleared his throat. He began to speak. "Guys… I'm not good with speeches, but I'm going to try my very best. We have been treated to the greatest thing since Akihabara itself! The fact that we even got here is a blessing in itself. Maybe it's fate that made us stay together after I turned. Maybe it's also fate that we ran into the 64th Successor of the Hokuto Shinken. But in any case, I want us to have a wonderful time here at the Nightclub!"

"In short… be yourselves, but also very courteous, if we have a chance to stay in this town."

"I'm with Nanashi." Shizuku, in her light purple dress, revealing her legs, agreed

"I'm surprised you have a way with words, Nanashi." Shion, in her shiny white suit, agreed, "I think you have what it takes to make the night very special for all six of us."

"You better do good, minion!" Rin, in her short, dark red dress, cried, "I'm doing this for you, you know! I have no other reason that that!"

Tohko was nervous, but then she said… "Um, so… I just want you to know, Nanashi… that even that you attained all this strength, despite no longer human… you're still the same boy I grew up with. We're still friends. Nothing's changed about that, and nothing ever will. So you don't have to put up any walls or anything. In the end, Nanashi, you are who you are. And that's what really counts."

Nanashi remembered those exact words. He remembered it was told to him by Tohko during a patrol in a main street in Akihabara before the nuclear war. He recognizes that he's changed so much, since his transformation… and the nuclear war.

Kati then echoed a line from an old anime series the group liked, "We are the unbreakable wall that keeps Eden safe from harm! We are the Eden Freedom Fighters! Now, we seven have come together at last! We shall claim our rightful stardom at the Nightclub!"

"Thanks, guys." Nanashi said, "It's almost opening time. I guess… Positions, please."

* * *

Nanashi, with his head down and eyes closed, fixed his suit as he walked to the centre of the floor, with Shizuku, Rin and Shion at the left of him. Tohko, Kati and Nana are at the right of Nanashi, with Shion and Nana spread on the floor, looking at the door. Then, he lifted his eyes and put his head up.

He then spread his arms out, then he circled them around his body, with his focused scream.

Then… he bowed, saying "Welcome… to the Nightclub."

The girls all then waved and said "Hello. Welcome."

* * *

Nanashi looked at the clipboard with a list of possible customers. Some range from merchants, artisans, members of the Watch… and bandits. Each have their preferred tastes in women. Some like strong women, others prefer cute women, some like the beautiful type and others want the sexiness.

Just then, he noticed a man, who is wearing a grey vest, a grey headband and a matching shirt, coming up. Nanashi put the clipboard to the side and bowed. "Good evening." He said, "Take your time."

He was assigned to Table 1. Nanashi assigned Shizuku and Kati to serve that customer. The customer cried, "Cuties!"

"This is not bad at all…" Nanashi thought, "I could get used to this."

Then, he saw a bandit with a mask approach him. Nanashi bowed and said, "Welcome. Go ahead."

The bandit was assigned to Table 3. Nanashi appointed Rin to that table. The bandit cried, "I expected better…"

Nanashi paced the floor, as he checked in on his friends. Rin nervously tried to entertain her guest with a song of hers. The bandit yelled, "Do something now!"

Another bandit entered to greet Nanashi. He sent the bandit to Table 2 and assigned Shion to take care of him. "Rather homely." The bandit quipped

The customer that had Shizuku and Kati finished up and settled the tab. "Thank you for coming." Nanashi said,

Another customer came, dressed prim and proper, waved at Nanashi. Nanashi sent him to Table 1 and assigned both Shizuku and Tohko to care for the customer. "What a knockout!"

"I am done with this place!" The bandit at Table 2 cried,

Nanashi thought nothing of it and kept pacing the floor. Both Shizuku and Tohko wrapped up with their customer at Table 1 and got up. "Thank you for coming." Nanashi bowed to him,

"Nicely done, kid!" the customer quipped, "That was awesome!" And he left

Suddenly, Nanashi heard, "I'll destroy you!"

Nanashi rushed to the source… which was Table 3. Rin quivered at the angry bandit, standing on the table. "Calm this crazy guy down, minion!" Rin yelled,

"I'll take this one." Nanashi said, and…

He jumped on the bandit, with he doing the splits. He removed the helmet. Then, he leaped down, rapidly punched the chest area of the bandit and removed his armour! Finally, he stripped the armoured cup off the bandit! The bandit screamed in horror and ran out of the Nightclub. "Thanks, minion." Rin replied,

"Just doing my part." Nanashi replied, then announced, "Really. Nothing to see here, folks. Let's get back to partying."

A short while later, after successful services to a number of customers, mostly from Kati, a lime-green mohawk bandit arrived. "Good evening, sir." Nanashi said to him, "Go ahead."

The bandit was assigned to Table 3. Nanashi said to his little sister, "I'll have you do this one."

"No way, Brost!" Nana cried, "I can't see myself talking to a big guy like him!"

"Please?" Nanashi begged, "For my sake?"

Nana sighed and then said, "Fine. You owe me later!" She then sat at Table 3 near the bandit.

"I got scammed!" he cried,

Nanashi decided to overlook Table 3 proper, not only to see if Nana is doing a good job, but also if there is any trouble and if he needs to step in.

"Ya-haaaa! Radical!" the bandit at Table 3 yelled. But then he cried, "What a shithole! Where the hotties at?!"

"This isn't looking good…" Nanashi thought as he observed Table 3, where his sister is. All the other tables are doing fine, with each of his friends being friendly, courteous and fun towards the other customers.

A short while later, he heard a "Yee-haa! Kill them all!"

As expected, it came from Table 3. Nanashi saw the bandit stand on the table, with poor Nana quivering. "Brotosaurus Rex, please do something to this guy!" Nana cried,

Nanashi looked up and said, "Well… I don't like doing this, but it's time to take out the trash."

Nanashi then placed his two thumbs on the head of the bandit. He kept them there for a few seconds and he removed them. "What?!" The bandit cried, seemingly unaffected, "Is that the best you can do?!"

"There's more." Nanashi replied, with a cocky smile to his face. With that, he placed his right fist on his left palm. He stretched out, placed his hands on the bandit and… ripped the armour off him! And finally… he gave the bandit a massive punch, which sent him flying! The bandit landed on his head.

The bandit got up, crying out, "What did you do to…"

He looked at himself. He was naked! He screamed in horror, and he ran out of the nightclub!

"Thank you, Brotastic Manager." Nana said,

"You're welcome." Nanashi said, and then he announced, "Still nothing to see here, folks. Let's get back to it."

Nanashi reflected on the attack he used on the bandit. "I know it's a poor man's version of the 'Hokuto Fist of Penitence' technique… But I tried my best! Hopefully, Mr. Kenshiro will take notice once he hears the news…"

A short while later, a giant ruffian with a catcher's mask arrived. "Welcome." Nanashi bowed and said, "Go ahead."

The ruffian was assigned to Table 3. Nanashi sent Tohko to take care of him. "Woof. No thanks." The ruffian said,

Another lime-green bandit arrived and was assigned to Table 4. This time, Nanashi sent Shizuku to Table 4. The bandit cried, "You're not cute at all!"

"Hopefully, they'll be fine…" Nanashi thought, thinking of both Shizuku and Tohko.

Nanashi paced the floor for a bit, paying close attention to Tables 3 and 4. He heard snide comments like "Mediocre." from the giant ruffian.

And then… "I'LL KILL YOU!"

Tohko screamed, and yelled at Nanashi, who arrived in time, "You dumbass! Do something!"

"You shitting me?!" The giant ruffian yelled,

"Not on my watch." Nanashi said and then… He did a sweep kick and stripped the ruffian's mask. With the ruffian still kneeling, Nanashi proceeded to do another sweep kick and stripped his pants!

The giant ruffian screamed. He yelled as he ran from the Nightclub, "You'll pay for this!"

"Thank you, Nanashi…" Tohko said, slightly embarrassed

"Anytime." Nanashi replied, and then announced, "Please don't look at the naked customer. Let's keep the night going."

A few minutes after that, Nanashi heard a "Yee-haa! Kill them all!"

Nanashi rushed to the source, which is Table 4. Shizuku quivered and cried, "Nanashi… You know how to deal with him?"

Nanashi looked up at the bandit and said, "You made a big mistake…"

"Fine!" The bandit cried and attempted to punch Nanashi, but the young manager dodged the punches. He crossed up the bandit's arms and punched him in the face! He then proceeded to hit the bandit with multiple kicks, knocking the armour off and the bandit down! Finally… Nanashi gripped the bandit's legs and tore the pants off!

The bandit screamed and ran out of the Nightclub!

"Thank you, Nanashi…" Shizuku said, feeling slightly embarrassed

"It's OK, Shizuku." Nanashi replied, and then announced, "Still nothing to see here. Let's move on!"

Shortly after that, the night has come to an end.

* * *

Nanashi then looked at the reports on the night. He and his group satisfied fifteen customers out of the twenty that came in. He and his group made 2,075,347 IDL that night. Most of the sales came from, and it's to no surprise, Kati. Kati has been at the service industry for so long, despite coming from a country called Finland, that existed before the nuclear war. Plus, her experience in the old anime café called MOGRA, while it was still around, helped greatly in the sense that she was able to service her customers very well.

One of the major surprises, in the report, is that Shizuku was slightly behind Kati in sales. Nanashi was trying to think of a possible reason… Unbeknownst to him, it was probably because Shizuku was heavily invested in the Nightclub business. It did remind him of the time that Kati got Shizuku and Tohko to cosplay as character from the anime series the Finnish maid semi-quoted earlier called "Striprism". Shizuku had so much fun, that she wanted to see more of what Akihabara had to offer.

It was no secret to find Shion in 3rd place in sales. Since she's the older one of the group, it's no surprise that many men found her alluring. The bottom three, in terms of sales, were Tohko, Rin and Nana.

* * *

Everyone, including Lyra, had gathered for the post-shift meeting. "Well done, Nanashi!" Lyra cried, "You were incredible in your first shift! In fact, all seven of you were amazing! Are you sure you did all this before?"

"If anything…" Nanashi admitted, chuckling nervously "Kati gave us the push we needed. She's the one you should be thanking."

"Well, Kati…" Lyra asked, "Do you have anything to add?"

"It's been so much fun playing the role of hostess!" Kati cried happily, "I really loved it!"

"It… it feels incredible." Shizuku admitted, "To serve customers and feel welcomed in an establishment like the Nightclub."

"I agree wholeheartedly." Shion replied, "I think it's worthwhile for me too."

"You know…" Kati said, "I want us to make Eden a peaceful place very soon so we can all have fun together without a care on our faces!"

"I'd like that, too." Shizuku agreed, "Let's make it happen."

"Good." Lyra said, "I'd say all's well then."

"It has, Lyra." Nanashi agreed

"You got a really fun group that you traveled with, Nanashi." Lyra mused, "I think you may have found a permanent home here in Eden."

"You… really think so?" Nanashi asked,

"I know so." Lyra answered, "All seven of you… Nanashi, Shizuku, Tohko, Rin, Shion, Kati and Nana… You all are wonderful. The Nightclub really is the symbol of Eden's miracles. It's all thanks to you. As the Nightclub's owner, I'd like to say thank you."

Lyra continued, "This place – this whole city – couldn't possibly go on without you or Kenshiro. Plus, I know this place is important to the both of you. So… let's keep it going, Mr. Junior Manager."

"Sure." Nanashi smiled


	5. The Man of Akihabara

Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise/Hokuto ga Gotoku: (c) SEGA  
Fist of the North Star/Hokuto no Ken: (c) Buronson & Tetsuo Hara/NSP 1983, Approved No. GA-217  
Akiba's Trip: Undead & Undressed: (c) ACQUIRE/XSeed Games/Marvelous USA Inc.

* * *

Final Chapter: The Man of Akihabara

The next day, Kenshiro was in his room, playing a round of the video game version of "Hokuto no Ken" on the Sega Mark III console that he found in the Wastelands before Nanashi and his group came to Eden. The game is a very old beat 'em up-type game, where his character, curiously enough is himself, has to go through various levels to defeat enemies and bosses. He managed to get up to the fifth stage, after beating Toki.

After he finished playing, he decided to walk outside…

* * *

Kenshiro thought, "I wonder what Nanashi and his friends are up to today… Maybe Xsana has seen them. I should head to the Cathedral."

Kenshiro then ran north to the Cathedral. The way he went there is that he crossed through the Bazaar, then he ran north on the west end of the Colosseum and then ran up the western stairs right into the Cathedral.

* * *

Kenshiro walked inside to find Xsana. He approached her and asked, "Xsana… Is Nanashi not here?"

"Nanashi hasn't come?" Xsana asked,

"I have not seen him the whole day." Kenshiro reported, "Something may be wrong."

"You might be on to something, Kenshiro…" Xsana agreed,

"Tell me, Xsana." Kenshiro said, "Did something happen to Nanashi and his friends?"

"Someone came by and left a message." Xsana answered, "He said to come to the Bazaar at this time. It has something to do with Nanashi and his friends."

"How do you know?" Kenshiro asked,

"He looked very calm, like he knows Nanashi from somewhere." Xsana answered,

"I can only hope it is not something serious." She prayed, "If something were to happen to Nanashi and his friends, I wouldn't know what to do…"

"Got it." Kenshiro replied, "I'll go and head to the Bazaar now and see what happened."

"Please be careful." Xsana said, "And, Kenshiro… Nanashi and his friends might be in danger. Whoever did something to them… if you oppose them, they will not hesitate to strike back. Be ready for anything."

"Right." Kenshiro replied and left the Cathedral.

* * *

Kenshiro ran down the stairs back into Cathedral Square. He rushed south to the west side of the Colosseum. Then, he ran through the Bazaar and then… "Hm?" Kenshiro stopped and saw…

…

…Nanashi. Stripped bare of his clothing, laid down and struggling to get up. Not only that, there was black and purple debris flying from his body.

Kenshiro rushed to Nanashi. "Hey! Nanashi!" the Hokuto Shinken practitioner cried, "Are you OK?!"

"M… Mr. Kenshiro…" Nanashi saw him and said, weakly, "You made it… My friends… Shizuku… Tohko… Rin… Shion… Kati… My sis, Nana… They were all taken… I was hoping to… fight the thugs by… myself with the strength I have… but… it didn't go so well… I'm sorry… that you had to see… my ultimate… weakness… as a Synthister…"

Kenshiro looked at the sun, which is now covering over Eden. He shielded his eyes, then turned back to Nanashi. "Nanashi." Kenshiro cried, "You're going to be OK!"

"Heh! So you finally made it!" someone cried,

Approaching Kenshiro and the weakened Nanashi are a group of bandits, led by a large red-haired masked bandit with a couple of canisters on his back and a flamethrower! "Heh. Dumbass! The kid thinks he can take us all on by himself!"

"We didn't like his face, so we beat him up!" a fat bandit with an "X" scar on his forehead, yelled, "That'll teach him to how the world really works! And not only that, we burned him to the ground! He's so weak!"

Kenshiro stood up. He then turned and faced the bandits. "Huh?!" The flamethrower bandit cried, "Now what? You lookin' for a fight?!"

"This young man and his friends were looking for a place to belong." Kenshiro said, angrily "Instead… you may have just sent him to his grave! I'll say one thing and one thing only…"

…

"Villains don't need graves." He then got into his fighting stance.

"Is that right?!" The fat bandit cried, "All right! Let's kill this guy, too!"

* * *

Kenshiro focused on the bandit with the flamethrower. "You're first!" He cried,

The flamethrower bandit fired the flamethrower, but the flames missed Kenshiro as he stepped to the side. Kenshiro then grabbed the bandit and the flamethrower. He then kicked the bandit down. "Bastard…" The bandit cried, and then…

Kenshiro burned the bandit with his own flamethrower!

" **TIME TO TAKE OUT THE TRASH.** "

"Hot! Hot! So hot!" The bandit cried to his death, as Kenshiro tossed the flamethrower to the side.

"Now you know how he feels!" Kenshiro cried, pointing to the weakened Nanashi

The fat bandit growled as he delivered a clap-like attack, followed by a hammer hook. Kenshiro blocked the first two attacks but had his guard break on the hammer hook. Kenshiro then gave two punches and blinded the fat bandit.

Kenshiro sped to the other side, facing the back of the fat bandit. "Where… where did you go?!" the bandit cried,

Kenshiro then struck the back of the bandit with two palms to the back! He then quickly removed them and then he put his hands together. And… Kenshiro drilled the hands into the back of the bandit and quickly snatched them out!

" **HOKUTO SPINEBREAKER!** "

"My… my body…" The fat bandit cried as he drooped to the floor to his knees and then… BLAM! His spines exploded!

The four smaller bandits all backed away, all of them terrified. One cried out, "I'm… I'm sorry!"

Another cried out, "W-what?!"

The third yelled, "No! Let me go!"

Kenshiro slightly smirked as he hit channeling points of three bandits. Their heads did indeed explode, all while crying out "SHIT BALLS!" before their deaths.

* * *

The fourth bandit cried, as he dropped to the floor, "Wh-what the hell?! Who are you…?!"

"…I don't need to give my name to those who expose the innocent to their deaths." Kenshiro replied, "Especially when they're about to die."

"Wait…" The bandit cried, "That power… those scars… Shit, you're the guy this kid mentioned! L-look, we're sorry!"

Kenshiro did not say anything. "We… we were just wingin' it! We'll never do this again!" The bandit whimpered, "Hell, we'll… we'll even leave Eden!"

"Sure." Kenshiro said,

"Thank you…" the bandit cried, as he stood up

Most would fall for the bandit's tricks. But not Kenshiro. Kenshiro had an intuition that the bandit was lying. He then hit a pressure point on the bandit's head!

The bandit stood still. "…Wh-What the hell did you do to me?! Did you use another of your crazy moves on me?!"

Kenshiro simply answered, "I struck a hidden channeling point. If you want to live, here is your chance. You're going to tell me where this kid's friends are." He looked at the already weakened Nanashi.

"The hell?!" the bandit cried,

"You're going to tell me where Shizuku, Tohko, Rin, Shion, Kati and Nana are. You lie to me… boom." Kenshiro said,

There was silence in the air. The bandit has been given a chance to live again, but only if he told the truth of the whereabouts of Nanashi's friends. But a lie will end his life. If anyone has been struck on a pressure point and given a condition by a Hokuto Shinken user like Kenshiro, they'd best be on their good behaviour.

"Th… This kid's friends?" The bandit said, "I… I remember a guy asking us… to off the kid… after one of our own had a terrible night at the Nightclub last night… Our guy… was stripped clean of his clothes by that kid…" He looked at Nanashi, not only with fear in his eyes, but also the idea of pointing the finger of the Junior Manager of the Nightclub.

"We told this guy about him… And he asked us to kidnap his girlfriends… And take them to the tallest sight overlooking all of Eden… Hell, even Sphere City itself! And then he told us to kill that kid!"

"L-listen! I told the truth! Can I go now?!" The bandit yelped,

"Sure." Kenshiro replied, now knowing where Nanashi's friends are

Kenshiro turned away. The bandit chuckled as he took out a knife. He screamed as he charged at Kenshiro, but… "A-TAAA!"

Kenshiro struck the channeling point on the bandit's head again! "You had your chance." Kenshiro said, "Now suffer like Nanashi did."

The bandit's body shook violently and then… BOOM! His head exploded!

Kenshiro then rushed to Nanashi. "Nanashi!" He cried, "Stay with me! Nanashi!"

Nanashi grunted and groaned, "M… Mr. Kenshiro… I… I don't know… How much longer… Do I have… But… You gotta save my friends…"

"I'm not going to lose you!" Kenshiro cried, "I think I know who to take you to…"

* * *

Kenshiro raced to get everything he needed for Nanashi, which are the clothes he had and a large blanket to cover the boy up from the sun. He took a buggy that Bat, a young mechanic friend and self-proclaimed sidekick to Kenshiro, fixed up. He drove out of Eden, with Nanashi in tow.

Kenshiro, with Nanashi draped over the blanket on the back side of the buggy, drove it south along the Wastelands. He then turned left and drove east past a road and onto another road, lined up with old, desiccated and rusty light posts. The road was also covered by an old highway, with smoke at the end of the destroyed section. Soon, Kenshiro came across that familiar hill that has a prison, which houses someone he knows best…

* * *

Kenshiro got off the buggy and entered into a giant building with never-ending walls. Through the walls, is a courtyard with lots of space. It's where he took on and defeated a warden of this prison named Uighur. This was no ordinary prison. It's a prison city, known as Cassandra, where it houses the worst of the worst, in the Wastelands and there is virtually no escape, regardless of the know-how on how to get out.

Kenshiro looked up. He said to himself, "Brother… Can you save this kid from dying of his curse?"

* * *

Kenshiro walked inside the prison, through empty cells. He had forgotten how the prison is like after the defeat and eventual death of Uighur. Then, he came across a cell, where a man was meditating.

The man looked up and saw a familiar figure. "So you've come… Kenshiro." He said,

"Toki… Brother…" Kenshiro replied,

Kenshiro walked inside the cell to greet Toki. Toki had grey hair and matching single shoulder pad, robe, pants and arm guard. He also had a gold headband on his long hair. "I've been waiting for you…" Toki said as he gripped Kenshiro with his hands

Kenshiro gripped Toki's arm with his left hand. "You've gotten much thinner, Toki." He said,

Toki then let go of Kenshiro. He said, "I'm still breathing though." And he is right. As a man who had been exposed to the "ashes of war" during the nuclear war, he suffered from a disease that can never be cured. This, even though he studied the same martial art as Kenshiro. Before that disease inflicted him, Toki was one of the better students of the Hokuto Shinken martial art. He was OK to relinquish his chances of being the Successor once the disease hit him. And now, he's the "doctor". In other words, he can heal people with Hokuto Shinken, much better than his younger brother, Kenshiro.

Kenshiro then said, "Toki, listen to me. There's a boy I want you to cure."

Toki had a serious look on his face. "He was afflicted by the sun and he is slowly dying. He needs you."

"How soon can he be here?" Toki asked,

"He's waiting outside for us." Kenshiro answered, "I thought that… you of all people might be able to heal him. Will you help me, brother?"

"You know I would do anything you asked of me." Toki said, "Think back to Jagre. I would be more than happy to help you."

Kenshiro nodded, and he and Toki left the prison cell.

* * *

A few minutes later, outside of Cassandra, Kenshiro carried the body of Nanashi, covered in a blanket and laid it down. He then uncovered Nanashi. Nanashi is still writhing in pain, and black and purple debris is still rising from his body.

Toki saw this and thought, "Interesting. This I have never seen before. Well, then…"

He then kneeled down in front of Nanashi. He focused his chi on his right hand and it glowed green. He then slammed the fist onto Nanashi's body!

Nanashi stopped writhing and shut his eyes. Toki stood up and faced Kenshiro. He then said, "He'll be all right now. I struck a pressure point that will slow down the body from deteriorating."

"But I must ask…" Toki continued, "What is he?"

"This boy is a Synthister." Kenshiro answered, "He's been able to survive as long as he has clothes on his back. Should he be naked, he will more than likely die. While his kind satiates on life energy from people, he eats a lot of food which is a better alternative."

"It is an interesting species." Toki said, "I have never heard of his kind until you have told me."

"Is Nanashi cured, then?" Kenshiro asked,

Toki nods. "Yes, you needn't worry. He'll wake up soon enough. I can't remove his curse, but I can slow it down so he can live longer should he be fully stripped."

Just then, he coughed very hard and dropped to his knees. "Toki!" Kenshiro cried, "Are you OK?!"

"Hah… I'm prepared for death to come at any moment…" Toki replied, "You needn't worry about me."

"I know I can't convince you to leave here to come to Eden," Kenshiro said, recognizing that should he and Toki meet and leave Cassandra to go to Eden, Raoh the Ken-oh, the tyrant who rules all of the Wastelands and is also a Hokuto Shinken disciple like Kenshiro and Toki, will launch an all-out assault on Eden and kill everyone. "But I do want to thank you again. I'm going to go and save this boy's friends."

"Good luck, Kenshiro." Toki said,

* * *

Kenshiro dressed Nanashi to his usual clothes, found somehow and somewhere, and carried him to the back of the buggy. He then got in the driver's seat and drove off. He thought, "I remember going up to that mountain and finding a mysterious man. I don't know what is in store for me… But Xsana is right. I have to be ready for anything, if in case people stop me at the Cursed Village…"

"Never thought I would visit the Cursed Village again… But I have no choice."

Kenshiro then drove the buggy along the road. As soon as it ended, he drove over the hills west past the hill leading back into Eden. He kept driving west, past the destroyed buildings and broken highways. He then drove through an opening, over jagged roads until finally, he came to a halt at a path, semi-blocked by small stone walls.

Kenshiro got off the buggy. He looked ahead at the path as he walked through the opening past the small stone walls. He thought, "Well… This is it. No turning back now. For Nanashi's sake… I'm going to save his friends!"

And he walked through the path, leading to the Cursed Village…

* * *

Kenshiro walked through a fog, but he does know what he had been through in this village. With the structures, all but destroyed, there was a thick fog in the air. For Kenshiro, he has been in this village before, traversing through it with Jagre and fighting off those who were fully inflicted with the Meito Kieiken technique from Kyo-Oh. It was a terrifying sight, since the villagers and bandits who were inflicted with said technique lost all sanity and were needed to be put down.

Kenshiro kept walking through the thick fog in the village. Then, he heard cackling. "You are pathetically predictable! Like a moth to a flame!"

Approaching Kenshiro are eight bandits of a different kind. While they look like the ones Kenshiro faced on numerous occasions, these particular bandits have black armour with an emblem, painted in red, that resembles a face of a scary monster spirit.

"The Army of Ruin?!" Kenshiro cried, "What are you doing here?!"

"We're here to put you out of our misery!" The big mercenary with a red mohawk answered, "Then we're going to raid Eden with everything they got!"

"But I see you're about to rescue some fine women!" The big mercenary continued, with a nasty smile on his face "Tell you what, there's a man waiting for you! If you want to reach him that badly, I'll bring him your head! Fuhyahyahya!"

"You know who the man is?" Kenshiro asked, "Tell me who he is and nobody has to die."

The big mercenary cried, "This guy won't shut up! Let's skewer 'im!"

* * *

Kenshiro thought as he got into his fighting stance, "They just don't get it… Well… I have to do what I do best."

Kenshiro began by swaying forward between two Army of Ruin men, one at regular height while the other is overweight. He began by meditating while standing, breathing in and out with a fiery green aura surrounding him and his eyes closed.

…

"There!" Kenshiro cried as he opened his eyes.

As the soldiers charged at Kenshiro, he lifted his arms and green energy blades lit the soldiers' bodies!

" **HOKUTO MERCIFUL EXECUTION!** "

Kenshiro blasted the beams through the stuttering soldiers. The soldiers' bodies began to bend in all the wrong places. One cried, "My arm's stuck!"

Their heads started to expand. "I… I can't move!" The overweight cried,

Both men chuckled and had smiles on their faces. And then… BOOM! Their heads exploded!

Then, Kenshiro went to work on another soldier, that is regular-sized. After two punches, he got dizzy. Kenshiro pushed the soldier back a bit and stuck his finger on his head! The big Army of Ruin mercenary tried to punch the back of Kenshiro's head, but the Hokuto Shinken practitioner ducked his head!

"What?!" The big mercenary cried, "Where did he go?!"

Kenshiro yelled as he stuck his left fingers in the big mercenary's head, "OWA-TAAA!"

The mercenary cried, "Aaah! Let me go!"

Then… Kenshiro bashed both heads of his victims together!

" **HOKUTO TWIN EXECUTION!** "

Kenshiro then removed his fingers to watch as the two Army of Ruin men's heads explode!

The remaining four Army of Ruin soldiers got extremely scared. Kenshiro used that window to hit their channeling points on their heads, and they exploded!

Kenshiro rushed north of the village. He saw more Army of Ruin soldiers as they are laughing at him. But Kenshiro made quick work of them by making their heads explode, through a touch of their channeling points on their heads.

Kenshiro kept rushing north, past more destroyed buildings. And then… He heard laughter.

Eleven more Army of Ruin soldiers appeared, led by their Attack Team Vice-Captain, appeared and approached Kenshiro. Many of them were armed with bats, small axes and large axes. One of the soldiers cried, "Yaa-hoo! Over there!"

Kenshiro got into his fighting stance and said, "Come on!"

And just then, he heard "Mr. Kenshiro!"

Someone sped past Kenshiro! The Hokuto Shinken fighter saw a familiar figure. "Nanashi!" He cried,

Nanashi stripped the middle armour off an Army of Ruin soldier, then he stripped another soldier's pants, then Nanashi quickly stripped the middle armour off another Army of Ruin soldier, then he swept kick him and stripped the pants off then…

Nanashi leapt at another Army of Ruin soldier, kneeled with his body bent back, punched him rapidly and ripped his armour off then…

Nanashi rapidly punched another Army of Ruin soldier, and finished with an uppercut that destroyed his armour, then Nanashi stripped his pants off! Then…

Nanashi punched his two fists together softly, stretched his body out, placed his two hands on an Army of Ruin soldier and… stripped him of his middle armour, then punched the Army of Ruin soldier high in the sky that his pants, literally, fell off!

Then, Nanashi did a few punches in the air, and slowly placed his right hand in front of him and then… He yelled with a big fist pump, "How about this?!"

The Army of Ruin soldiers that were stripped screamed in horror as they are naked to the core! "That kid's a monster!" One of the soldiers cried, about to run for his life, "No! L-let me go!"

"Not a chance." Kenshiro said as he rushed to him and hit a channeling point on the head. He then gripped the head of the naked soldier with his right thumb, and twirled him around, knocking the other naked soldiers down and out! Kenshiro tossed the naked soldier he gripped on into the sky.

" **HOKUTO HORDEBREAKER STRIKE!** "

The body of the naked soldier expanded his body for a bit and then… BOOM!

The bodies of the naked soldiers that were knocked down also exploded. At least their heads did.

Kenshiro then rushed to a nearly naked Army of Ruin soldier and he hit a channeling point on the head. He then bashed his right thumb on the chin of the soldier and with his left hand, he backwards slapped the soldier and finished his attack with a frontwards slap!

" **PHANTOM CHANNELING POINT.** "

The soldier's head shook violently as he cried, "W… Why?!" And… BOOM! His head exploded!

Kenshiro and Nanashi regrouped with their backs toward each other. "Nanashi…" Kenshiro said, "Why did you come? You're in no condition to fight…"

"I'm sorry, Mr. Kenshiro." Nanashi replied, "But if my friends are kidnapped, it becomes personal. I finally understand why I been given all this strength… and the reason I have newfound power."

"It's not only to prove to myself that I can become just as strong as you. It's because of my friends… Shizuku… Tohko… Rin… Shion… Kati… My sis, Nana… I want to fight to protect them!"

"You have grown so much since I first met you, Nanashi." Kenshiro admitted, "I think you're becoming a man of your own principles."

"Are you done making love to yourselves?!" The Vice-Captain of the Army of Ruin's Attack Team yelled, who wore a mask and had wild grey hair, "I am EXTREMELY ANXIOUS TO KILL YOU BOTH!"

"What do you say…" Nanashi began, "64th Successor of the Hokuto Shinken? Shall we dance?"

"Let's," Kenshiro replied, "1st Successor of the Akiba Shinken."

Nanashi smiled. He really liked that nickname a lot.

Kenshiro rushed and hit channeling points on the heads of the non-stripped soldiers. They all died, with their exploded heads! Only the Vice-Captain remained.

The Vice-Captain swayed and landed an uppercut on Nanashi, which sent the boy flying. Kenshiro rushed in, delivered two punches, a kick and rapid punches. Kenshiro finished the combo with a hard punch which sent the Vice-Captain flying.

The Vice-Captain got up, yelling "You'll regret this!"

Nanashi also got up, saying, "I can't give up now!" He then delivered a sliding kick to the Vice-Captain, forcing him to kneel. Nanashi attempted to press his fingers on the Vice-Captain's head. "What was that supposed to do, kid?!" The Vice-Captain taunted,

He removed them and… The Vice-Captain's mask came off as he was falling down!

The Vice-Captain cried out as he got up, "I won't forgive you!"

"Nice try at the 'Fist of Penitence'." Kenshiro admitted, "But allow me to show you how it is really done."

Kenshiro stretched himself, rushed to the Vice-Captain and hit his channeling point on the head. "H-hey!" The Vice-Captain cried, "I… I can't move!"

Kenshiro then pressed his fingers, hard, on the temple of the Vice-Captain! Then he removed them quickly!

" **HOKUTO FIST OF PENITENCE!** "

"You've got… three seconds left." Kenshiro said, "To think about the sins you've committed against Nanashi and his friends."

"And if I don—" The Vice-Captain began until his body shook violently, and his head expanded in an inhuman way, "Aaah! No! Let me go! Please! I'm sorry!"

BOOM! The Vice-Captain's head exploded.

"And that's how you do it." Kenshiro said,

"Wow…" Nanashi said, "Thank you, Mr. Kenshiro! Now… let's go save my friends!"

"Yeah." Kenshiro agreed and they both ran to the pathway to the mountaintop.

* * *

At the mountaintop, it was partially cloudy with a bit of sun showing. The sight of the mountaintop is breathtaking. One can see Eden, Sphere City and miles and miles of the Wastelands from there.

But sightseeing is not in the cards for both Kenshiro and Nanashi as they both made it to the mountaintop, tired and panting from all the fighting and running. Nanashi said, "Well… here we are."

Both guys walked closer to the mountaintop until they heard… "So, you didn't back down after all. You boys deserve a slow clap for that."

Kenshiro and Nanashi both turned to find a man with yellow hair, a maroon shirt and black pants with knee guards. Nanashi gasped.

"Who're you?" Kenshiro asked,

"It… can't be." Nanashi cried,

"Zenya Amo!"

"Hmph." The yellow-haired man replied, "You really don't have to yell, you know. So what brought you both here, then? Resignation of fate? Or delusional confidence?"

"Your friends are still alive, you know…" He continued, "I just put them on a little nap."

Zenya shook his head to his right. Kenshiro and Nanashi both looked. Nanashi's friends are chained to six rocks and are asleep. "Shizuku… Tohko… Rin… Shion… Kati… Sis…" Nanashi cried,

"But… how did you survive?!"

"You really don't know… do you?" Zenya said, "I returned back to normal after you and your pathetic friends stripped me bare-naked in Akihabara. I left the town, thinking that I have nothing to live for after our Synthister experiments were being compromised. Thankfully, I had the last of the formula and took it."

"And guess what? I survived the nuclear war!"

"I ran into the guys you both battled… The Army of Ruin. They told me about a paradise town that's ripe with social and life energy that I could feast on people day and night! They also told me about the man who is known by many names… One in particular struck me as somehow familiar… "The Saviour of Century's End"." Kenshiro looked on as Zenya referred to him.

"But what is better… is that they told me about you, Nanashi. I spent my years, disgusted and hated at what you all do! But when you came to this town of Eden… I knew that the wheels of my plan are set in motion! All I needed was some help from the Army of Ruin, and you can thank Targa for feeding me the hatred I need."

"Targa?!" Kenshiro cried, "What does he have to do with all of this?!"

"He fed me all the information I needed to know about Eden. And Nanashi and his friends. It wasn't easy, but he and I have a lot more in common than you think."

He then eyed Nanashi. "I must echo what I told you before you 'killed' me the first time. You see, contrary to popular belief, all men are not created equal. Rather, every man has his worth. And otaku AND the people of Eden are no exception! All they do is consume what they are given… They make no contribution to society. They pursue no real goal. They're jacks of no trade and masters of none! It's the natural order of things to drain such cowards dry! Fitting, is it not, that their energy should provide the nourishment we seek? In the great master's plan, each rung in the ladder of society will receive exactly what it deserves! We can shake ourselves free of all the irresolute, spiritless nobodies in this accursed existence!"

"You're insane, Zenya!" Nanashi cried,

"Then, allow me to spell it out for you. You people of Eden AND otaku aren't needed!" Zenya cried, "Once I sap the life energy in this town, I move on to the next one! And the next one!"

"Soon… the whole world will burn to the ground."

"You mean to say…" Kenshiro asked, "You want all the people in this world dead, including Nanashi and his friends?"

"Bingo, Kenshiro." Zenya replied, "No more Holy Emperor… No more Ken-Oh. Just me, Targa and Kyo-Oh. The new gods."

"You are wrong about one thing. I do not want everyone to die. Because, and as you know, any self-respecting god has to have a legacy." Zenya said as he turned to Nanashi's friends, "A child. That's what they're there for."

"You bastard…" Nanashi cried,

"Our sleeping beauties…" Zenya said, "Once they wake up, they'll find a world burned alive. A much more beautiful world with no trace of the filth that once was. That world… Is one that we shall rule together."

"Now I know that you lost your mind!" Nanashi cried, "No way in hell we're letting you do this!"

"Oh?" Zenya said, "You won't 'let' me? Then come…"

Zenya walked closer to both Nanashi and Kenshiro. The two heroes did the same. "You both may be strong, but for you, Kenshiro, it's just martial arts. As for you, boy, it's just street fighting with stripping. I'm not the same man I once was."

Then, they all stopped. "Now… if you want to face the power of a real god… Come on up and die."

"Hokuto Shinken can stop any evil." Kenshiro said,

"You will not escape judgment!" Nanashi cried,

* * *

Zenya whipped out his pistol and tried to shoot Kenshiro, but he missed. Kenshiro tried a chop, but Zenya blocked it. Kenshiro pressed on Zenya's chest with his two fingers, which twirled the enraged Synthister. Zenya smirked as he took out a blade with red light.

"Watch out, Mr. Kenshiro!" Nanashi cried,

Kenshiro ducked as Zenya swung horizontally. The Hokuto Shinken practitioner did a high kick that missed Zenya, as Zenya leaped backwards.

Zenya shot twice at Kenshiro. Kenshiro dodged the bullets easily and he said, "Nice try."

Zenya landed down. "Hmph." He said, "Time to show you how strong I am!"

"Where the heck did you get the pistol from?!" Nanashi cried,

"A little gift from Targa…" Zenya said, "But enough talk! Fight me, Nanashi! Kenshiro!"

Zenya swayed in many directions at fast speeds. Nanashi cried, "I can't keep up with him!"

"You can do this, Nanashi!" Kenshiro cried, "I believe in you! Let's do this together!"

"You got it!" Nanashi cried,

Nanashi attempted two quick punches on Zenya. Both were misses, but Nanashi followed his combo up with a sweep kick that caught Zenya off guard. Kenshiro rushed to punch Zenya twice, stopped and swayed. Then, he delivered another two punches and a kick. Zenya recovered long enough to block the kick from Kenshiro. Zenya delivered two horizontal kicks and a flip kick. Kenshiro blocked those attacks.

Nanashi swayed in front of Zenya and delivered two punches and a spinning backwards punch. Kenshiro swayed behind Zenya, delivered two punches, a kick and a channeling point hit on the neck. Zenya cried, "Wh… what is this?!"

Kenshiro swayed in front of Zenya, gripped his head with his right hand and with the left, clenched his right forearm and… SNAP!

" **HOKUTO STEEL SHREDDING CLENCH!** "

Zenya dropped down to the ground…

…

But he flipped back up immediately! "That trick isn't going to work on me!" He cried, "I do not have any pressure points! Just try your techniques again!"

Nanashi then rushed to strip Zenya's shirt. But Zenya easily pushed him away.

"We have to weaken him somehow…" Kenshiro said as Zenya kept swaying

Then, Zenya did two leaping spin kicks at both Kenshiro and Nanashi. He struck them both as they flew backwards!

Zenya then swayed in front of Nanashi and twirled his light blade in a buzzsaw motion at him. Nanashi evaded the attack in time to get up and deliver a haymaker. Zenya felt that and rapidly kicked Nanashi, with the last kick knocking the boy down. "See that?!" Zenya taunted as he rotated his right foot to feint a kick

Kenshiro yelled, "Nanashi!"

Nanashi got up and regrouped with Kenshiro. Zenya kept swaying. "I think I have an idea… Ready to do this together?"

"You bet, Mr. Kenshiro!" Nanashi cried, "Let's do this!"

They both crossed their arms and… POW! Kenshiro and Nanashi blasted their upper body clothes off and are both engulfed in their respective red and light purple auras!

"That's the power I want…" Zenya cried, "That is what I have been seeking all along! Give it to me now!"

"Come get it…" Kenshiro taunted,

Zenya rushed at Kenshiro with a number of kicks. Kenshiro blocked the first two and evaded the next two. Kenshiro and Zenya then traded kicks.

Both men waited for a few seconds. Kenshiro and Zenya delivered a kick and… both connected, but Zenya had the harsher of the kicks. Kenshiro checked his face by touching it. He got cut, but he shrugged it off.

"Delicious…" Zenya said, "Now I know why Nanashi looks up to you! You may be the embodiment of the world that resonates with hope, despite it gone to hell! But… There is no hope! And I will be the one to bring it into despair!"

Zenya then rushed at Kenshiro, shooting him. Kenshiro dodged the bullets. Once Zenya got close, thanks to a spinning jump, he tried to shoot Kenshiro again. Kenshiro dodged that bullet and smacked Zenya's arm, twisting his body around. But Zenya recovered to aim the pistol at Kenshiro…

…

Kenshiro parried the arm, forcing the gunshot to miss. Zenya tried to slash Kenshiro, but that arm got parried, too. Zenya tried to shoot Kenshiro again, but the arm was parried again. Then Kenshiro delivered a blow to Zenya's chest, forcing him to step back.

Zenya grew enraged. He screamed and then he delivered a kick, a pistol whip and a blade whip. Kenshiro blocked the attacks. Both Kenshiro and Zenya whiffed on their kicks. Zenya tried to shoot Kenshiro again, only to miss. Zenya attempted to hit Kenshiro with the pistol and light blade, but the Hokuto Shinken fighter managed to block every attack. Then, Kenshiro struck Zenya in the chest.

Zenya looked stunned at first, but then he smirked. He aimed his gun at Kenshiro.

"Mr. Kenshiro!" Nanashi cried, about to see his hero get shot and possibly killed by an insane Synthister.

Kenshiro ducked the gunshot. He then proceeded to bash Zenya in the chest and then… he did a backflip kick that sent Zenya flying!

But that's not all…

Nanashi rushed ahead, leaped up and stripped Zenya's maroon shirt! Nanashi landed perfectly on his feet, while Zenya fell on his back.

Zenya got up, crying, "Piece of shit…!"

Then his body glowed in a yellowish-greenish aura. He yelled, "Playtime is over!"

Kenshiro leapt backwards, zoomed right at Zenya and delivered rapid fire kicks, each one connecting on Zenya! Then, Kenshiro leapt up and delivered a massive punch on the already downed Zenya!

" **HOKUTO EIGHT PAINS NINE HELLS!** "

"Hahahahahahaha!" Zenya laughed maniacally as he got up, "That still doesn't work on me!"

Nanashi did a series of punches and an uppercut that sent Zenya in the air! Nanashi then leapt up and slammed Zenya down with an axe kick!

"Dammit!" Zenya yelled,

Then, Nanashi charged right at Zenya and… He gasped.

"Nanashi!" Kenshiro yelled,

Zenya stuck his light blade through Nanashi's chest. The boy coughed up blood, but with the strength he had, he ripped Zenya's pants off!

The sun was out.

…

But nothing happened! Zenya laughed maniacally, and kicked Nanashi out of his blade! "I told you…" Zenya cried, "I'm not the same man that I was before! You can't kill me by stripping me of all my clothes! You can't kill me with fists! I am practically invincible! And I will forever rule the world with your friends as my slaves and wives! Hahahahahahahahaha!"

…

"You're forgetting one thing."

"What?"

…

Kenshiro. The 64th Successor of Hokuto Shinken. The Man with Seven Scars. The Saviour of Century's End.

He rapidly punched Zenya with everything he's got! "ATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATA!"

"HWAAA!"

Then, he leaned back with the fiery red aura surrounding his body and… "OWATAAA!"

…

" **HOKUTO HUNDRED-FIST RUSH!** "

* * *

Zenya flew back! He got up, but was in a lot of pain. He kept groaning as he tried to stand with as much strength as he could muster.

Just then, he gripped his head as it was enlarging in a sick fashion. "Wh… what?! Impossible! I don't have… pressure points!"

"You're no god and you never will be." Kenshiro said, now that he has back his leather jacket and shoulder pads, as he walked closer to Zenya

"What?!" Zenya cried, as he stuttered backwards, creeping closer to the cliff's edge

Nanashi coughed as he got up, now with his blue shirt on, still gripping to his chest, soaked in blood, also walking towards Zenya, said "Gods don't die… But you…?"

Kenshiro and Nanashi both stopped and pointed at Zenya.

"It's too late for you." Nanashi began,

"You're already dead." Kenshiro finished,

"No! No!" Zenya cried, as his head kept expanding, "But I… My time had come! I'm… I'm a god!"

And his head blew up and he fell off the cliff into the backside of Sphere City, never to be seen again.

Kenshiro and Nanashi looked at each other and nodded. Kenshiro then went to the rock that had Shizuku chained. He broke off the cuffs that held her hands easily and hit a channeling point on underneath her neck area.

…

Shizuku gasped as she knelt down. She quickly got up and looked around. She saw Kenshiro and cried, "Thank you, Mr. Kenshiro!"

"It's not me who you should be thanking…" Kenshiro said and faced Nanashi

Nanashi smiled back. But then… he limped down and dropped to the ground. "Nanashi!" Shizuku cried and rushed towards her boyfriend

Kenshiro repeated the process on freeing the rest of Nanashi's friends.

"Nanashi!" Shizuku cried, "Nanashi! Stay with me!"

Nanashi was wheezing. He said weakly, "Hey, Shizuku…"

"Nanashi!" Shizuku cried as she held her boyfriend's body, "I'm here! Please don't die on me!"

"I… I did it." Nanashi said, still weakened, "I fought so hard for you… and my other friends."

Kenshiro, Tohko, Rin, Shion, Kati and Nana all watched with somewhat grim expressions. "If… I hadn't met Mr. Kenshiro… I wouldn't be the man… That I would eventually be… If I wasn't a Synthister… I would have never… attained all this strength… If I didn't meet you… Shizuku… we would never be together like we are now…"

Kenshiro looked down. He had a tear in his left eye.

Tohko cried, "Nanashi… You can't die! Not now!"

Rin yelled, "Nanashi! Please don't go away!"

Shion cried, "Nanashi… Don't you leave us."

Kati cried, "Master! We need you more than ever!"

Nana sobbed and cried, "Brofist… Don't leave your little sis all alone!"

"Hey, guys…" Nanashi said, weakly still "I'm not sure how long I have… But… I'm going to watch over you guys…"

"And… Mr. Kenshiro…?"

…

"Thanks… for everything… I… couldn't have done this… without you…"

He then shut his eyes.

"Nanashi?" Shizuku cried, now with her eyes swelling with tears, "Nanashi?! Nanashi!"

Kenshiro kneeled down, sobbing with tears in his eyes. He had seen people die in front of him. But none have impacted Kenshiro more than Nanashi. He wished he could have done more to protect the boy.

Everyone else… Tohko, Rin, Shion, Kati and Nana were all hugging each other and sobbing as well at their deceased friend. All Shizuku could do her put her head down on her now-deceased boyfriend, now sobbing.

…

Shizuku heard breathing… and snoring. "I'm…"

"I'm really tired… Can I get some… Fried Bugs?" She recognized that voice immediately.

"Nanashi!" Shizuku happily cried and hugged her familiar boyfriend. Nanashi grunted in pain, but he hugged Shizuku back with a smile on his face.

Everyone else cheered, except for Kenshiro, who simply smiled as he got up. He knows that Nanashi is going to be OK.

* * *

A few hours later, everyone gathered at the Cathedral, with Xsana in front of the desk.

"So, that was Zenya Amo…" Xsana said, "I'm glad he is no longer a threat, but it only means the Army of Ruin may try more dirty tricks in the future. We should be ready when they strike again..."

"In any case, I have come to a decision."

Nanashi and his friends looked on, with a bit of anxiousness on their faces. They know exactly what they are in for, if they have to leave town or stay forever in Eden.

…

"Nanashi. Shizuku Tokikaze. Tohko Sagisaka. Rin Tokikaze. Shion Kasugai. Kati Räikkönen. Nana."

…

…

"I'm granting all seven of you to stay in Eden."

Everyone cheered and hugged each other. Then, they quieted down.

"The reason that decision was made was something I mentioned during a speech the other day." Xsana continued, "Togetherness. You all have worked together to make Eden a wonderful place to be. I want you all to continue to strive be together and make Eden a place where we can live!"

Nanashi bowed and said happily, "Thank you, Lady Xsana!"

Kenshiro watched the mini-celebration. He smiled and thought, "Nanashi… You have what it takes to succeed in Eden. I wish you and your friends nothing but success."

Nanashi looked back at Kenshiro, gave him a smile and thought, "Thank you, Mr. Kenshiro… No… Ken. I wish you all the best in finding and reuniting with Yuria. I hope to meet her one day..."

"Hey, Kenshiro." Someone said. He turned to find Rei beside him..

"Ah, Rei…" Kenshiro said, "What is it?"

"I have a question." Rei asked, "Did you hold someone at gunpoint at the Casino last night?"

* * *

Shortly after the celebration, carpenters, merchants, artisans and members of Eden's watch transformed an old warehouse near the Clinic into a video game bar named "MOGRA Eden." Some people drove from the Wastelands to donate old relics of video games to MOGRA Eden, including a game based on the anime series they like called "Striprism". They even found old relics of anime series from before the nuclear war and donated them to MOGRA Eden.

At the top of the stairway near the Cathedral, it was night time. And Nanashi and Shizuku were looking at the direction of the Colosseum.

"It's such a beautiful view, Nanashi." Shizuku said,

"It is…" Nanashi agreed, "But it is as nowhere near as beautiful as the mountaintop."

"And it certainly is nowhere as beautiful as you… Shizuku." He said as he turned to her,

"Oh… th-thank you." Shizuku said, slightly embarrassed

"Shizuku…" Nanashi began, "I kept thinking about you… When you were kidnapped, I was angry. I wanted to save you, but I realized that I wasn't strong enough on my own… But with the help of Kenshiro, I had the courage and strength to do anything. If Zenya had his way with you… I wouldn't know what to do…"

"But you two defeated him." Shizuku said, "And he will never be a threat to us any more."

"And if there are any more threats coming to Eden, like the Army of Ruin… We will face them together. All of us."

She then hugged Nanashi. "I love you, Nanashi… I want to stay with you forever." She then gave him a passionate kiss.

Nanashi returned the kiss. "I love you, too… Shizuku." He said, "I'm going to stay with you… forever."

And they held each other over a starry night sky with the Big Dipper constellation shining bright.

* * *

FIN


End file.
